


Until We Meet Again

by Thefandomsaretakingovermylife



Category: American Horror Story: Coven, American Horror Story: Hotel
Genre: Angst, Crossover, F/F, Foxxay AU, Slow Burn, goode-day au, honestly i have no idea what I'm doing and i'm just trying my best, im just making this up as i go, like there is no plan and no direction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2019-07-25 21:04:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 35,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16205639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thefandomsaretakingovermylife/pseuds/Thefandomsaretakingovermylife
Summary: Overcome with grief over the sudden loss of her soulmate Misty Day, Cordelia Goode slowly spirals into depression. When she finds herself one day in LA, she realizes that this could be the perfect opportunity to leave her life as the supreme behind and become someone new entirely. Sally McKenna.Previously "Come Back to Me"Inspired by the youtube video entitled "until we meet again- foxxay".





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> This work is the first fanfic that I have decided to make public. This entire work is inspired by a youtube video entitled "until we meet again- foxxay" in case you would like to watch it which I would highly recommend. Please be kind. I'm kinda new at this writing business

“Follow my voice, Misty. We are all here waiting for you. Come back to me”. As tears fell faster and faster, Cordelia pulled Misty closer. So impossibly close, as if she could pull the witch back from her own personal hellscape if her grip on the younger girl was tight enough. With the last few seconds before sundown came soft muttered Latin incantations spoken in-between bursts of sobs. Cordelia Goode could feel time running out, could feel the girl’s life force leaving her body as she once again tightened her grip, a futile attempt to bring life backing into Misty’s near lifeless body.

  
All at once, Cordelia folder over onto the ground below her, now coated in the dust that was once Misty Day: Cordelia’s most promising young witch, a witch so kind and loving that her power revolved around bringing others to safety. Her best friend. Her soulmate (though no one knew that besides her. She considered it her best-kept secret, a piece of her life she wished to have only shared between her and the young blonde who now lays scattered around her. A source of comfort, of pure light, to part her now dark and dreary days.).

  
Gathering the remains of the once wild Cajun girl, the witch frantically endeavored to pull every grain of dust that contained the only source of her happiness into a small pile. Pawing at the ground, making sure not to leave anything out, for if one small fraction of the fine powder managed to be left out, who knows the consequences that might fall upon either of the girls. With the belief that she successfully obtained the entirety of her Misty, Cordelia shakily draw a breath, preparing to slowly exhale in the precise direction of the dust.

  
“Vitalum Vitalis”.

  
Two words that could change Misty and Cordelia’s life forever. The power that these two words hold can bring life back into the dead, remove someone’s lifeforce, can heal practically any injury or disease. However, no matter how many times the elder witch quietly spoke them, like a promise of protection to the love of her life, nothing happened. Nothing could happen.

  
Both women knew the consequences for failing the descendum. If you were not able to return to your body before sundown, your body will fail and disintegrate into dust. Once a witch was dust, no living practitioner of magic has been able to bring them back to life, let alone know where to start.

  
“ Sequere. Lecem. Ventite ad me”.

With every word, Cordelia felt her own sanity slipping away. She loved Misty. She needed Misty. How would she be able to continue living without her love?

  
“Cordelia, sweetie, time’s up. There’s no longer a light for her to follow. She cannot return to us. We need to continue with the other seven wonders”. Even with her good intentions, Cordelia couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the words spoken by Myrtle Snow. A beloved member of their coven has disappeared right before their eyes and these girls want to finish these deadly tasks, to risk their lives for some title which will only bring anyone who holds it torment and suffering?

  
“How can you even think of sending these three girls to their doom?! Misty is dead! She is never coming back! We did this to her! She told us time and time again that she was not ready! That she didn’t even want to be the Supreme! Do you want to see these girls in her position? Lying dead as a mound of sand?”

  
Every word rose in volume until the witch, consumed with anger and grief, was yelling in the face of Myrtle. The woman who was her mother when her own biological mother practically abandoned her on the footsteps of Mrs. Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies was now her personal verbal punching bag. Cordelia knew that she should regret the words the left her mouth, but how could she when she spoke the truth. Misty was virtually forced into performing the seven wonders by Myrtle and herself. Over time, Misty slowly came to realize that maybe she could be the next supreme. After all, she finally managed to master pyrokinesis. She looked so happy when that candlestick lit and flew into her hand. But now Cordelia is left alone, without the one person who she loved more than anything else in this world.

  
“Darling with your mother gone, we need a new supreme. We cannot find her unless we give these girls the opportunity to prove themselves. I understand that this may be fast considering what just happened, but this is for the good of our coven. Surely that you must understand.”

  
Cordelia did understand. She has given up her life for years to ensure that this coven could grow and become something wonderful. No matter how she was feeling personally, she knew that the test of the seven wonders was the only way at this point to make sure that this coven does not become extinct. But even if she did want to continue her beloved cove, she knew that she could no longer put anyone else’s lives at risk. However, that wasn’t what her mouth said.

  
“Fine. Tomorrow at dawn. Zoe, Madison, and Queenie will continue the test of the seven wonders. Starting with transmutation”.  
Cordelia had no way of knowing what kind of pain tomorrow would bring her with the test of transmutation.


	2. Chapter two

With the light of a new day, came a feeling of dread and uneasiness. Only three tests remained, and with the luck of the world on their side, hopefully, none of the beautiful young witches that live in the academy would be lost today. Transmutation, Vitalium Vitalis, and divination were not exactly known for getting people killed while performing them, however, one may never know what lies ahead for them.

After preparing herself for the day, Cordelia carefully makes her way down the stairs, taking seconds between each step and using all her concentration. After losing her sight for the second time, she still refused to have her bedroom moved from the second floor to the first. She has told everyone repeatedly that she is a strong and independent woman, no special favors were needed, she could do anything anyone else could, including walking up and down stairs multiple times a day, which was a sure-fire way to her heart rate increase tenfold from pure anxiety. Usually Misty would watch her climb the stairs, just to be reassured that she didn’t need help, but now with her gone, Cordelia was left with this task, once again, alone.

“Cordy, what’s taking you so long? Surely you can walk down 20 steps without that swamp witch, right?”

Hearing Madison’s voice out of nowhere was enough to startle Cordelia, causing her to lose her concentration and almost fall down the remainder of the stairs. It took time for her to process the words that flew out of Madison’s mouth, more than likely without any thought beforehand, but the second she did, Cordelia was suddenly on the floor, paralyzed, unable to move out of grief.

For five minutes, the time it took for her to get out of bed, get dressed, and mostly down the stairs, she had somehow managed to not remember how just 10 hours before, the love of her life crumbled to dust right in her very arms. She forgot how she had verbally eviscerated Myrtle in front of the rest of the girls. She forgot how she blamed herself and the woman who raised her for the death of her soulmate.

Maybe it was the sleeping potion that she had taken the night before that had momentarily brought her peace. That potion proved to be necessary when Cordelia was unable to sleep, consumed by the past memories of her and Misty in the very same bed. The memories only got worse when Cordelia turned over and was suddenly surrounded by the smell of her beloved Mist Day. Something that smelled of a combination of her greenhouse, the swamp mud that Misty brought everywhere with her, and something so indescribably pure that she could only label it as Misty’s own scent. For a second the smell was strangely comforting, a reminder that she hadn’t made up the younger witch in her head, that she was a real breathing person that would forever hold Cordelia’s heart. But soon after it just caused the grief to increase. Because soon the scent would fade from Misty’s pillow and Cordelia would just be left with the memory of a memory, and she didn’t want that. Not one bit.

“I apologize if you guys have been waiting for me long. I assumed that after the tragic events of last night that everyone might like to sleep for a while.”

“Look can we move on? I didn’t really know her that well.” Cordelia always had a small theory that Madison Montgomery never really has a soul, and her mind, that one sentence just furthered her speculation.

“Of course, darling, let’s move into the parlor for the test of transmutation” Myrtle didn’t even seem fazed by the apathetic sentence the fell from Madison’s lips. Cordelia knew she cared, but it was different for her. She didn’t lose the most important person to her, but Cordelia did.

Stopping at the entryway, Cordelia paused. She thought maybe if she were to acknowledge that this place was where Misty passed, she would be able to step foot into the spacious place. “Before we begin, let us have a moment of silence for our fallen sister witch, Misty Day,”. Acknowledging this place did not help. She was still stuck in that doorway, unable to move for the fear that perhaps some part of the other girl remained.  

“This is the test of transmutation. To complete this test you must move from one spot to another only using the sheer power of your mind, and-“

Before Myrtle could complete her sentence, Zoe had moved from her spot beside Cordelia to behind Madison. Tapping on her shoulder, with a clear as day “tag your it”, Zoe had started a game of transmutation tag inside the academy, involving all the participates of the seven wonders.

Quickly moving outside so they could have more room to play, Cordelia was overcome with a feeling of dread. She could just tell something bad was about to happen, and even with her second sight now restored, she couldn’t tell what.

“Girls! Careful, please! This isn’t a game!” Cordelia had hoped this would cause the girls to stop playing, to return safely by her side, but the deafening sound of laughter told her that they were going to ignore her, that they would continue to risk their lives.

“It’s the best game and we need a goddamn break!” Madison could be right. The girls had been working so hard to prepare for this test that no of them had laughed in days, maybe weeks. At this exact moment, with the sound of happiness surrounding her, Cordelia was terrified that she may never be happy again. If she could be right in the middle of the girls of having the time of their lives and not be able to break a smile, what would she do when one of them became the next supreme?

The sounds of screaming interrupted the laughter. Running footsteps all around her were rushing away toward one common place.

“What is it? What happened?” Moments like this had a habit of causing Cordelia to regret taking her own sight.

“It’s our darling Zoe. She’s impaled herself!” The eerie calmness in Myrtle’s voice did nothing to calm Cordelia. She had known something terrible would happen if the tests were to continue and now it had claimed the life of Zoe. The girl with so much happiness and love within her. The girl who had found her true love with Kyle was now encircled with that same love, yelling at the top of his lungs for help, though it seemed like the neighbors were all too happy to ignore the coven and their pleas for help.

In two seconds flat, Myrtle had Zoe of the gate, using her telekinesis, and the party of five witches (and Kyle), were frantically making their way to the greenhouse, where they were to lay the injured girl on the work table and work to bring breath back into the lifeless girl.

“Girl’s it is now time for Vitalum Vitalis. Bring Zoe back to us and we will continue with the test of seven wonders.” Queenie was first to follow Cordelia’s orders. Knelling beside her friend¸ she whispered the two words that are meant to restore the balance between life and death. Inhaling and slowing exhaling into the girl’s face, meant to be her next breathe, were heard, but was not followed by the loud gasp that accompanied the girl’s resurrection. Every second that passed, waiting for Zoe to sit up and begin her life anew, caused Kyle’s screams and sobs to become louder and clear. It was no difficult to tune them out and to concentrate at the task at hand.

“I’m sorry. I can’t bring her back.” With her confession, Queenie took Kyle by the hand and led him inside the academy, not wanting him to have to continue to watch the others try and fail at bringing the girl back from hell.

“Madison. Your turn. Bring Zoe back to life.” Madison was their last chance, and as much as Cordelia would refuse to say this to her face, but she knew Madi has the power to resurrect the dead, not as powerful as Misty was, but she had the power.

“And if I refuse?”

“Then you are out of the running. You will not be the supreme.” Both Myrtle and Cordelia knew that the only way to get the selfish girl to perform such a selfless act was to bring up how she would lose the title that she so desperately wanted to call herself.

“That’s bullshit! We all know that I have more power than either of you! If you want her back so bad, you do it!”

“Do you think that you can bring her back?”

“Obviously I can. But she died. I didn’t. She’s not the supreme.  I am.”

“You won’t be supreme unless you perform Vitalum Vitalis. The only way to do that is to bring back Zoe”. The argument between Cordelia and Madison was pointless. She identified the girls' selfishness within two seconds of meeting her and now she is willing to let her friend die so she herself can bare more power.

A sudden loud clap occurred, followed by silence, and then buzzing. Madison had preformed Vitalum Vitalis, just not in the way that she needed to.

“See. I told you I could do it. Now either crown me supreme or watch me leave this coven.”

Storming out of the greenhouse and into the academy, Cordelia threw herself onto one of the many seats the circled around their dining table. She could not believe how apathetic and cold Madison was being toward a girl who had fought to bring back Madison herself. Without Zoe, the movie star would still be dead, acting as a doll in the attic of the mansion.

“Even with you finishing that task, you still have one more to go, divination.”

“Come on Cordy. That’s bullshit! I deserve supreme. I’m the most powerful one here and we all know it!”

“It is not about deserve. Either you are, or you aren’t. A  supreme must be selfless, putting the good of the coven before herself. That was where my mother failed, and I refuse to allow another supreme like her to rise!”

A door slamming shut was the indicator for ‘Delia that Madison had, in a fit of unnecessary anger, had stormed up to her room, most likely to begin packing to leave for the seventh time that week. That was always her threat, that she would leave and expose the coven to the world. The threats were always empty though, for Madison always came back to her coven, to her tribe.

“I don’t know what else to do Myrtle. This test has already brought to us so much despair and misery. Madison was our last hope, a terrible choice sure, but our last hope at finding a supreme. If we can’t bring her back or find someone else, It’s possible the coven is going to be extinct altogether”.

After a long moment of silence, Myrtle finally spoke.

“I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. Your selflessness, your dedication you're raw magical power. That’s it! Delia, my darling. You must perform the test of the seven wonders. Tomorrow first thing! You are truly our last hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that at this point it must seem like I'm just restating what happened in the last episode of Coven but I promise, within the next chapter or two, the real crossover will begin. Just please be patient. Bare with me for a little while.


	3. Chapter three

Cordelia passed the first few tests with ease. Pyrokinesis, telekinesis, and Concilium are nothing for a girl with such raw and mature power. But when one commits to the test of the Seven Wonders, they risk an eternal suffering in they’re own personal hell. Desensum is considered to be one of the most dangerous feats a witch can accomplish for a reason, and Delia has seen firsthand what happens when one gets stuck in their own hellscape. The Seven Wonders has already claimed Misty and Zoe and now Cordelia herself is putting herself in harm's way. She repeatedly tells herself it’s for the good of the coven, that any supreme should be ready to die in an instant to protect the rest of the coven.

She shouldn’t be worried. She has already been to hell and back plenty of times before for numerous reasons but now she feels like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. There is a downside and an upside to failing at the Descensum test for Cordelia: the downside is, to put it frankly, she would be dead, however, she believes that in death, she would be reunited with her love, Misty, who her heart aches for with every passing day. Wouldn’t anyone risk death to see their loved one, if even by chance, even if just for a second?

Cordelia lays down on the floor, arms spread out wide ready to begin the incantation. She purposefully chose the exact spot where this test claimed Misty’s life, but strangely it brought her comfort. It was as if for a moment, she was there and they were happy again, twirling around in the greenhouse with Stevie singing clear as day.

“Darling, you are now beginning the test of Descesum. Your goal is to get your soul back into your body by sunup, or your body with turn to ash. The getting to hell part will be easy with a girl of your talents, but can you find your way back?  Are you ready to begin?”

Myrtle’s voice startled Cordelia right out of her beautiful daydream. The second she remembered Misty wasn’t there to hold her hand, to protect her, her head turned light and her heart filled with dread once again. She doesn’t think that she will ever get used to the feeling of not having the love of her life right next to her. The headmistress nods her head once, very quickly, to portray to the others that she is ready for her descent into the netherworld.

“Spiritu duce in me est deduc me in tenebris vita ad extremum ut salutaret ‘nferi. Descensum!”

Her body went rigid for a split second then the most relaxed that anyone has ever seen her. A sure sign that her soul has left her body and has begun the trip to the netherworld. Her soul, in opposition to her body, didn’t have an easy trip. She saw only black for what felt like an eternity, to the point where she thought the blackness was her hell. Even with her sight gone, she had never seen just pitch black, only in the now rare instances where she was able to sleep.

She could hear her before she could see her. That was one thing that always confused her about her hell, how she could see when she was now blind, this time by her own hand.

“No please! I don’t wanna kill another livin’ thing, please, you can’t make me!”

“Mr. Kringley! She did it again!”

“If you won’t dissect a dead frog, you’ll dissect a live one!”

The piercing screams are what fully got her attention. Screams that she would recognize anywhere, screams that belonged to her soulmate, to the love of her life. Her Misty Day.

“Misty!”

Cordelia screamed for Misty over and over. No matter how loud she screamed, she was never able to draw the younger witch’s attention over to her. She had to give it to Satan. What better hell than to watch the one you love more than anything in this world suffer over and over, without being able to stop it. In terms of torment, it was pure genius. The return of her sight made sense now. How can one be tormented by watching their loved one in pain without eyesight?

“She can’t hear you. She won’t be able to even know you’re here.”

Cordelia turned around in an instant and was now face to face with none other than Papa Legba. The face of hell itself.

“Why? Why are you doing this to me?! Isn’t bad enough that I’ve lost her once? Now I have to lose her over and over and over again?!”

The diabolical laugh that followed answered her question. It wasn’t Satan that created her hellscape. It was Papa Legba. That was his business, after all, to know what keeps you up at night, what terrifies you, what torments you.

“You haven’t lost her. She’s right there. For you to watch over and over for the rest of eternity. Her hell is your hell.”

“Please. She’s an innocent! She didn’t even want to compete. There must be something that I can do to bring her back!”

With every word, she took one step closer to Misty. By the end, she was right by her close enough to touch her, to smell the wonderful scent that still haunts her dreams, to kiss her again, for what might be the last time.

“There’s nothing you can do. She’s stuck here. She is my soul now. And I wouldn’t get to close to her. Who knows what happens to someone who wakes up in hell. As they say, you should never wake a sleepwalker, or hell-walker in this case, not that you would even know how to wake her.”

He was right. Cordelia had no idea how to wake someone from their own suffering. It would take all the magic she had in her. But this wasn’t what her magic was made for this was something else entirely. This was something out of a fairytale, like when prince charming kissed snow white awake, but everyone knows that fairytales are not real.

The headmistress could feel her time running out and she knew that if her soul does not return that she would be stuck here, forced to watch her love in pain for all time. Maybe that was something she wanted. Wouldn’t it be better to be with Misty forever, even if she couldn’t see or hear her, even if she was in pain? At least, she would know where she was, that she was somewhat alive.

Defeated, she turned her back on Papa Legba and faced Misty. One last goodbye, this time knowing she would probably never see her again. Not knowing how much time was left on the clock, Cordelia leaned down and gently pressed her lips to the Cajun witch’s forehead. She stayed there for a while, reveling the feeling of Misty’s skin beneath her lips once again, inhaling deeply to obtain that pure scent of Misty that would eventually fade from all her earthly possessions right from the source.

She lifted her head and started to walk toward the doorway, hoping that if she crossed the threshold that she would be returned to her body. With one foot out the door, she heard something that she never thought she would again.

“Miss Delia?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be one really long chapter combined with chapter four, but it was really long and unfortunately, I'm going back to school in a few days so I'm trying to get as many chapters up as quickly as I can. While this chapter does still go with the events of coven, I'm really starting to go off the beaten path and begin my own story. I think the crossover will begin probably within the next few chapters. Bare with me.


	4. Chapter 4

Tears were threatening to spill instantaneously. She brought her hand to her face to try and quiet the violent sobs that were trying to break free. She was too scared to turn around and face the direction from which the melodious voice came from. She couldn’t be awake. That just wasn’t possible. It was just Papa Legba messing with her, toying her emotions and sanity.

“Delia, please. Tell me that’s you. Tell me you come to save me. Please darlin’, I need to see your face.”

Cordelia couldn’t believe what was happening. She could hear Misty’s strongly accented voice clear as day coming from right behind her, the only thing standing between them as a thick lab table complete with dissection frogs and scalpels, evidence of Misty’s hell that she has been stuck in for the past three days.

The headmistress felt a timid hand reach out and touch her should. A hand so cold it felt of ice. The abrupt coldness snapped Cordelia around, her hair spinning in a picturesque way that is only achieved with movie magic and real magic.  She threw her arms around the taller witch’s neck, pulling her as close as she could, tears fully streaming down her face, creating a damp spot on the shoulder on Misty’s dress, the same dress she wore when she died.

“Misty! Sweetheart! I have missed you so much! I thought I would never see you again.”

Her words came out as an unintelligible mess, each word a mangled sob that she was trying to suppress so she could communicate clearly with the girl she longed for every minute of every day, but with the reunion came a flood of love and happiness causing her to lose her composure. Misty didn’t care, however, not one bit. She had been trapped here, it only felt like a few minutes, but she knew it was longer. She could tell by the way her Delia was acting, no way would she be this happy to see her unless something truly terrible happened.

“Baby, how long have I been here? Do I still have time to get back?”

Cordelia knew time worked differently in hell. You could be there for months and have it only feel like 10 minutes, she just always assumed, however, that when time ran out for you to return to your body, that you were automatically awoken to spend the rest of your eternity to know you’re in hell.  

“Mist, you have been gone for three days. You died.”

A look of utter and complete shock registered on Misty’s face. That wasn’t possible. There is no way that she could have died, left Cordelia all by herself. There had to have been some mistake.

“That can’t be darlin’. You know I would never leave ya.”

“I tried all that I could. There was no way to bring you back. I’m so sorry Mist. I’m sorry I failed you. We thought you were ready. We were so sure that you were the next supreme. I’m sorry that you had to suffer like this over and over.”

“Miss Delia, it’s okay. I know you did all you could. I don’t blame you for what happened.”

A small broke on both of their face. Neither girl had broken contact yet. They had pulled out of the hug to examine each other’s face, but they kept a hand on the other girl, either on their arm, shoulder, or face, just to make sure that they were truly here, back in the presence of the girl who was their whole world.

“We still don’t have a supreme. You were not the only one that this preposterous test. The other girls were performing transmutation, turned it into a game. Zoe had accidentally gotten distracted.  She impaled herself on the gate. We all tried to bring her back. Queenie wasn’t able to and Madison refused. She claimed that Zoe lost fair and square, code for was too scared to bring her back and lose to her. The only one that could bring her back, we figured, was you.”

Misty’s face fell when she heard how her friend had passed. She knows the dark place that you go to when you die. She’s been there before when she was burned at the stake, and she wouldn’t risk that place on even her worst enemy. Guilt now resided in her. Guilt that if only she hadn’t gotten stuck, Zoe could still be alive.

“So, there’s no one left? What are you guys gonna do now?”

“That’s not exactly true. There’s one person left to complete the Seven Wonders. In fact, they’re doing the test right now.” Cordelia’s voice grew softer during her last sentence, not entirely sure she wanted her beautiful Misty to worry about her while she had to stay here.

“And who could that be Miss Cordelia? Ya find some new witch to replace me that quick?” A smile formed on the Cajun’s face with every work, glad that she was able to still joke around with her love, even if the situation wasn’t ideal.

“Now you know that I would never be able to replace you,” She drew her arms around Misty’s waist and pulled her closer. Bringing her face just centimeters from her own, wanting so desperately to just lean forward and kiss the younger girl, over and over, and never left her go again.  “It’s me. Myrtle wanted me to compete and I trust her. If she thinks that I have the ability to be the next supreme, then I have to at least try, right? For the good of the coven.”

“You will be an amazing Supreme, baby.”

Misty punctuated her sentence with a small peck to Cordelia’s lips. Nothing long or crazy, just something for the purpose of calming Delia’s nerves. However, the second the older witch was able to taste Misty’s lips, something was released in her. She wound a hand up to Misty’s neck and pulled her down to, recapturing her lips in a kiss so passionate that both girls were worried that they would never be able to stop. The need to have the other close to them was too much, they never wanted to be apart again.  The only reason the kiss stopped was so they could catch their breath, something they seriously hated right in that perfect moment.

“I’ll have to leave soon. If I’m not back, I’ll be stuck here. And while that is not entirely a bad thing,” At this, Cordelia grasped Misty’s hand, place a light kiss over her knuckles, then brought their joined fist to her heart so they could feel the calming effect of her heartbeat. “I’m scared what will happen to the rest of the coven if they do not find a proper supreme to lead them. God knows what Madison will do if she decides to continue.”

Neither girl wanted to pull apart and lose the contact they so badly needed after being separated by death for the past few days. However, they knew that if they didn’t detach now, that neither of them would be leaving anytime soon. They both begun to walk toward the door to the classroom, the door that they knew would separate them once again, but a dark pool of fog began to spill in through the hallway and suddenly, Papa Legba was standing in front of Cordelia’s only way out.

“You didn’t think you would be able to leave that easily, did you? You, Cordelia Goode, have a very important decision to make. The choice you make can either bring you great joy or tear both of you apart.”

The tension was growing in the old science classroom. Cordelia and Misty both have already been to hell and back, literally. Cordelia wondered what could be worse than watching her love die and suffer. 

“You can either have Misty leave with you to join the rest of the coven again, or you can leave her, with me, where she will be relatively safe.” The choice was automatically clear. They have both suffered enough with a three-day separation and there was no way in hell that Cordelia was going to let anything tear them apart again.

“She’s coming with me. I could never consciously leave her here to suffer again.”

“Oh, but don’t you want to hear the catch first?”

Misty’s hand shot down and grabbed Cordelia’s, a sign to let her know that she was here and that she would support whatever choice she chooses. She personally wanted to be with her love no matter what the cost would be, but she knew that Delia would choose in her best interest.

“If you take Misty here with you, then she will never be herself again. She will not be able to communicate with you, she will not be able to grasp even the most basic of human emotions, she will not enjoy what used to bring her joy. She would simply just exist. A shell of the woman you love.”

                Cordelia already knew her decision. As much as she wanted to grab hold of Misty and never let her go again, she could never take away everything that she held dear to her. Her swamp. Stevie. The other girls at the academy that she has grown so fond of in such a short amount of time. Without those things, Misty just wouldn’t be her. And what use is having Misty’s body around without what made the girl spin around in joy? And it would just be too painful for both of them to be around each other and not fully able to be together, to love each other.

                The older witch turned her head to look at her soulmate. By the look in her eye, Cordelia could already tell that Misty knew what she chose. She could tell that she was okay, that she would be okay, with time, that is, if she was allowed to remain awake after Cordelia left.

                “I promise I will find a way back to you, my love. I will stop at nothing. No matter what, one day, you will be back with the coven and back in my arms.”

“I know Delia. It’s okay. I have faith in you. This is what must happen. I love you. I am yours. Body and soul. Forever.”

“I love you too Mist. More than you will ever know.”

With that, the two girls shared one more kiss, a kiss to convey every emotion between them. All the love. All the Pain, sorrow, and worry. And the reassurance that they would be together again, no matter how long it took. Neither of them would stop until they were reunited once more.

With tears streaming down both of their faces, Cordelia held Misty’s hand as she slowly and calmly made her way out the door, leaving her love behind.

                Cordelia awoke on the floor of the parlor in the middle of the academy with a gasp. Her eyesight gone once again. Her cheeks covered in a thin layer of tears,  the only evidence of her interaction with Misty besides the fading feeling of Misty’s hand in hers.

“What did you see darling?”

She wasn’t surprised that the first voice she heard when she returned was Myrtles. That didn’t stop though her hope that some being have taken mercy on the pair of witches and allowed the younger of the two to return with her.

“I was trying to get Fiona’s approval and getting bitchslapped for it.” She used her transmutation and moved to the doorway a few yards away from where the girls had gathered. “That’s not exactly new.”

She doesn’t know why she lied to the girls. They would have understood if she told them that her hell was to watch the love of her life suffer. She just wanted to keep it a secret, only between her and Misty, something they had done with the whole of their relationship. Kept it secret so they could have something fun and pure and untouched by anyone else. She guesses that she lied to honor that agreement one last time.

“That’s five of the seven wonders. Two more to go. Next is divination”

The test of divination was a breeze for the headmistress, even with Madison coming in at the last second, adding additional unnecessary pressure to an already high stakes game. Next was Vitalum Vitalis.

She remembers heading to the greenhouse. She remembers performing the spell. She remembers everything up until her blacking out.  But having her sight back when she awoke for the third time that day was a shock. ‘The hallmark to any raising supreme is glowing radiant health’. She remembers those words clear as.

Locking eyes with Zoe, realizing she successfully brought back the girl, she barely registers the next line that comes out of Myrtle’s lips.

“Behold, everyone, out one true Supreme!”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, the crossover will begin. Thanks to everyone for being patient. I really didn't think that it would take me four chapters to get to a place where I could semi-logically start the crossover with hotel.


	5. Chapter 5

Cordelia doesn’t remember much from the past few months. To be honest, she never really returned from her trip down to hell, leaving a small piece of herself to forever be held by Misty. Small clips of her past since she ascended to the role of Supreme came and went, but nothing stayed longer than a few minutes. After those memories faded once again, she can’t help but feel empty inside. Then again, she hasn’t really felt a different emotion besides numb since she all but abandoned her one true love to be tortured until she can find someone or someway to rescue her.

She remembers how she did a short interview with a news outlet, exposing to the outside world that their small but powerful coven existed. She remembers meeting some of the new witches and admitting dozens more, increasing their numbers at least ten times what it was. She can vaguely recall the scent of burning flesh. Perhaps she didn’t want to remember that one memory in particular. She can see, clear as day, the urn that she picked out to hold her darling Misty, adorned with Acadias, forget-me-nots, dandelions, and pink camellias, flowers representing how she would always long for and be faithful to her true love. The one person who she would never forget, no matter what happened between them. None of those memories helped her to remember how she ended up waking in a small hotel room, god knows where, with her possessions thrown across the room, as if she was looking for something in a hurry.

She gently removed herself from the bed that now housed an impression of her body. Wherever she was, she apparently has not moved from that one spot in a considerable amount of time. Her legs and joints ached in pain, after having not been used for a while. Each step brought a pain shooting up from the tip of her toes all the way up to the base of her neck. She dropped herself beside her suitcases, two to be exact. She riffled through them, looking for any type of medication or potion that would help relieve the discomfort that now had taken up residence throughout her entire body, but no such help was found.

Being the clean and orderly person she was, the Supreme knew she would not be able to stay in a room so quickly torn apart and identified her need to sort through the belongs she had managed to pack and transport somewhat safely.  Quickly examining her surrounds did nothing to aid her confusion. She did, however, notice that one item had been placed carefully in a certain place, rather than just thrown about with the remainder of her items.

One lone urn sat in the window sill, in a place where the first light of the day would bless the flowers and where the first bit of moonlight would be able to grace the ashes of her fallen love. ‘At least’, she thought, ‘I hadn’t forgotten the most important part of me.’

For an hour, Cordelia worked. Organizing what she brought and finding a place for everything. She would determine when she would return to the academy after she found out where she was. It came as no surprise that she packed more of Misty’s personal belongings than her own. Her record player and a few records now sat on a table near the final resting place of Misty, so when Cordelia played Stevie, her biggest fan would still be able to listen along. A number of shawls were now hanging in the small closet in the entryway to the room, and of course she brought the tattered old brown leather fringe bag that Misty insisted on carrying, instead of her brand new black leather purse that she was gifted by the other girls shortly after becoming Supreme, a way for them to show that they appreciated everything that the former headmistress had done for them. The bag had been thrown on the bed to be sorted through later.

In terms of her own possessions, it seemed that she only managed to get away with a few blouses and high waisted pants; the staples of Cordelia’s wardrobe, and one book on potions that she has read so many times that she probably had it memorized by now.

She made her way over to the bed and sat down for the first time in a while, giving her legs a much-needed break, having suddenly put so much strain on them after laying down for quite some time. She reached over located her phone that was placed on the bedside table only inches from her face. Pressing the home button, she saw she had only one missed call. A call from Zoe. No doubt wondering where she had wandered off to this time. Since the night of her Seven Wonders, it wasn’t uncommon for the Supreme to wonder about late at night, either wide awake and confused or sleepwalking and talking perfect sense about how she must find her. The girls were never able to determine who the girl was that Cordelia was so desperately trying to find deep in her subconscious, but Cordelia knew that her dreams where looking for a way to bring Misty back to her.

Haphazardly throwing her phone on the other side of the bed, deciding that the recently made council members could survive without her for a few days, the woman stood, being sure to grab the room key which she found during her short cleaning spree, and promptly exited the room, now on a mission to find where she was and why.

After walking down three flights of stairs, she arrived at a revolving door which would lead her outside into a bright and sunny day, the exact opposite of how she was feeling inside.

Pushing the door open, she was practically blinded by the sun. Quickly deciding where to go, she took a few steps and heading to the right, hoping that this street would lead her somewhere that would answer her questions. Once she was far enough away, she paused for a split second, turning her head to read the name of the place where she would be staying for a few days.

“The Hotel Cortez. Why does that name sound so familiar?”

Shaking off the cloud of confusion and mystery around the name of the hotel, Cordelia had continued her way, walking to no place in particular. She only got two steps away, when the sound of a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air and interrupted her thoughts. Quickly spinning her body in the direction of the noise, she briefly caught a glimpse of something falling, probably someone accidentally dropping something out of their hotel window. Growing more curious, she tentatively peered closer, slightly worried to find what had fallen.

Looking around her, making the note that no one seemed bothered or fazed by the scream that came out of nowhere only seconds early, continued to make her way to the spot where she thought the mystery item had landed. Feeling a slight difference in the way the ground felt below her feet, she looked down. She pulled a hand to her face to muffle the scream that was trying so greatly to be let out.

She was looking at a girl. Short fizzy blonde hair, a crushed velvet dress paired with ripped fishnet stockings and black high heels, all covered by a long cheetah print coat. Once somewhat clean, with only a few minimal dirt stains, was now covered in blood from the girl who seemingly fell four stories.

Cordelia was looking a woman who looks exactly like her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that technically the timelines do not add up, with coven taking place in like 2014 and sally dying in, I think, 1997 but like, I needed to manipulate the times a little so that Cordelia would have a reason to stay in LA. Hopefully, the difference in canon timelines won't mess everyone up too bad. Thanks for reading!!


	6. Chapter 6

It was like her body had a mind of its own. Before she even realized what was happening, she had ripped the small black handbag from the clutches of the poor identical girl and had taken off in a dead sprint towards her newly occupied hotel room. She doesn’t know why she robbed the other woman’s body, why she didn’t even bother to fish her phone out of her pocket and take just a few minutes to call 911. No one would be able to save her now, the bloodied girl was now too far gone to be saved, but the police could have identified her. It never even occurred to her that as the Supreme, she herself could have easily been able to bring back the girl. She had been too focused on getting away from the scene as quickly as possible, to get away from the death that now seems to follow her everywhere she goes.

                Opting to take the stairs instead of the elevator in hopes of saving some minuscule amount of time, she bound up the stairs, taking them two at a time, almost tripping over her own feet on multiple occasions. She threw open the door which led to the main hallway of her floor. Passing door after door, she could feel her legs growing faster and faster, reaching speeds she didn’t even think possible until she practically ran into the door that separated her from the room that would serve as her safe haven for the next few days.

                Opening the door using her telekinesis, Cordelia raced inside, throwing herself and the bag onto the bed, landing directly on top of Misty’s forgotten satchel. Setting both purses in front of her, she began to build the courage to explore the contents of both bags. There would be no way the fallen girl’s bag possessed any kind of hint as to why she was here or how to get Misty back, but the bag of the girl who is now forcibly being tormented may hold some secrets, some kind of clue that could answer any one of her multitude of questions.

                She began with the bag which belonged to the mystery woman. It felt wrong to invade a total stranger’s privacy like this, or at least it should, but in this exact moment, the Supreme could not bring herself to care. Pulling things out one by one, she lined them neatly in a row before properly examining each one. She first rifled through the wallet; cheetah print, just like the coat the girl was wearing when she died. There wasn’t much of anything in the wallet. No social security card, no credit cards, hardly any money, around $30 in total which she quickly deposited in her pocket, and a license. Name Sally McKenna. What a pretty name for a pretty girl.

                Next, she picked up an eyeglasses case. Snapping the case open, she was surprised to find there were no glasses inside the case. Instead, methodically placed in the case was one syringe, two lighters, a spoon bent at the neck so that it would sit straight, a piece of stretchy rubber tubing that is no doubt used to procure a good vein, and lastly a little baggie filled about halfway with a fine powder. Heroin.

                Almost immediately after grasping the baggie of drugs, Cordelia’s mind was filled with a vision. Not as sharp as usual, probably due to her not knowing the girl personally, but a vision nonetheless filled with another person’s feelings, thoughts, and actions. That was one thing she hated about her second sight; how she couldn’t control anything. No matter what happened, she was only allowed to watch and feel, something that she was not at all accustomed to.

                She was transported to a room, a hotel room like hers, making it easy to deduce it was the Hotel Cortez. Across from her was a man, a beautiful man with a jawline for days but eyes full of sorrow. Something was moving in her bloodstream, making her feel absolutely nothing, completely and utterly numb. Voices were suddenly muffled and her ability to focus went completely out the window. Her hand reached out, a needle in-between her fingers, offering it to the other man. Words were felt coming out of her vocal cords but whatever was said was unintelligible to her.

 She wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The man across from her, now laying flat on his back, had ceased moving, causing concern in her heart but her mind just hadn’t cared. It was like the memory was completely apathetic.

Suddenly, she was standing up, headed straight for the mirror. She couldn’t control her arms as they found the dark purple lipstick and began to apply it, half of it on her skin and nowhere near her lips. But to her, she looked the most beautiful she had ever been.

A loud knocking pulled her attention from the mirror. The next series of events were fuzzy, only able to make out bits and pieces. But she had been completely aware of when she was pushed out the window and how she felt a blood-curdling scream ripping out of her throat and how her body slammed into the pavement below.

The same scream she heard only 30 minutes prior. Then it hit Cordelia.

The girl she had seen, Sally McKenna, had been murdered.

The vision ended rather abruptly, pulling her back into reality but leaving the feelings behind. Feelings of sadness, desperation and longing. Feelings she was now extremely familiar with.

After gathering her thoughts about witnessing such a private and traumatizing memory, she prepared herself to see the last belongings of Misty Day. She took considerable care taking everything out, reveling in the sparks she felt with every new item, knowing that it had once been handled and loved by the woman that loved her.             

Like the other bag, she started with the wallet. A thin and fraying little thing that wasn’t able to hold much. Misty had possessed hardly any cash, no credit cards, and no driver’s license, instead preferring Delia drive her where she needed to go, a way to spend extra time with the former headmistress. What little cash the girl had, Cordelia couldn’t not bring herself to pocket it. It was one thing to steal from a stranger but a completely different thing to take from the girl who had given herself to the older witch.

Next was a picture. A small snapshot of her and 'Delia, happy as could be. No vision was needed to remind her of this day, as she could remember every second that she had ever spent with the wild blonde woman.

This particular photo was taken just a few days after Misty had arrived at the academy. They had yet to admit to each other how they really felt, but by the looks in their eyes (or rather Misty’s eyes since Cordelia was depending heavily on her second sight at the time of the photo to tell her how the taller witch looked), anyone could have told them that they were destined to be together. Misty had wrapped her arms around Cordelia’s shoulders and the shorter of the two had leaned back, melting into Misty, just enjoying the feeling of her pressed against her and the warmth that radiated off her like a furnace. They had just left the greenhouse and were celebrating Misty's first successfully completed potion. It was one of Misty’s most prized memories, vowing to carry it with her always.

Cordelia stood up and walked over to the urn that held the ashes of her love. She gently placed the photo next to it, having it lean against the structure, so it was sitting up and aimed right at Cordelia’s bed. The prefect way to start and end every day, seeing her soulmate smiling ear to ear, so happy in love.

She rested her right hand on the top of the cold vessel, being able to only think one thought.

“I miss you Misty darling. More than you will ever know.”

She returned to the bed and picked up the next to last item she had, a shawl. She had brought several of Misty’s shawls with her but when she was packing, she had looked all over the mansion for this specific one, having been able to find it nowhere, only to have it return to her during her most trying time. It was the wrap that Stevie had personally gifted the swamp witch on that first visit, the one Madison had stolen seconds after having Misty entombed, the one that meant the world to the resurgence witch. Holding it in her hands as if it would unravel if she wasn’t careful, Cordelia lifted the garment to her face, heavily breathing in the scent that was so purely Misty, having been untouched by the smells of the greenhouse or the perfume that she wore almost daily. Something untainted by the outside world.  Tears were spilling over, steaming down her face, a painful reminder of how real the situation was.

With the last courage she could muster, she wrapped the shawl around her body and situated herself for the remaining item. A yellowing envelope holding nothing but a lone piece of gently folded paper. The edges of the paper were torn and curling in on itself, showing how the paper was removed and opened several times. Gingerly unfolding the short letter, she first noticed the date. November 14, 2014. The same day in which the photo that now was placed in the middle of the ever-growing shrine to her fallen love was taken.

A lone tear had fallen and hit the paper before she had even begun to read.

_“Miss Cordelia,_

_It has only been five days since you have allowed me shelter with your coven, and I can tell you I have never felt more safe than I do when I am near you. I have spent all my life in fear, fear that someone would discover my powers, fear that no one would accept me into their tribe. A fear that rang true, until that is, I had arrived on your doorstep and you took my hand in yours. I could tell in that single moment that my hand was meant to hold yours, forever and always._

_I never really believed in love at first sight or fate or destiny. But when sparks shot up my body at your touch, I knew it was real and that I would never be able to let you go._

_I know that I have only known you a few days, but I can't help that I am falling deeply in love with you._

_I am yours. Body and soul. Forever._

_Lovingly yours,_

_Misty Day”_

It was nothing more than a few lines, but to Cordelia, in that moment they meant the world. They had fallen for each other so quickly, both so scared to tell the other how they felt. If only she had the courage to tell her sooner, then maybe she would have had more time with the girl. More secret hugs and stolen kisses. More time, just the two of them, tangled together in bed whispering loving words to each other. How could she have been such a fool not to realize sooner just how amazing the younger witch was?

Her phone ringing ripped her out her memories, the gentle melody of _Landslide_ filling the room, a tribute to the fallen witch.

Zoe’s name began flashing on her screen, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer it.

How could she return to that place? A place once overflowing with love and comfort, now synonymous with pain and death. That place took Misty away from her. It was the building where her mother died, where so many of her students took their last breath, where Myrtle had told her to burn her at the stake. The place where she lost her eyesight twice and where she discovered her husband was a witch hunter, determined to kill her and those she loved.

How could she go back to where her world was ripped away?

Throwing her phone as far away as she could within the confines of her small room, she laid down, pulling the shawl ever so tighter around her figure, bringing a small amount of comfort to her now aching body wracking with heavy sobs.

There was no way she could bring herself to return to that now dreadful academy. What she needed was to disappear, to have time to think, to plan, and to bring her Misty back to her once and for all.

And what better way to disappear than to become a girl who already looks just like you.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

There was one thing Cordelia needed to do before she disappeared from under the watchful eye of the coven. She had to find some way to contact Misty, her lost love. She didn’t care what way it happened, she just needed to see her one last time before she left for who knows how long. It could be another 20 years or it could be only two days before she figured out how to rescue the younger girl. It wouldn't be right to just abandon her and even if the situation would allow her to do so, every atom of her being would begin to retaliate just at the thought of leaving her Mist behind. Misty was the whole reason she was trying to leave, so she could bring her back and be sure that she would be safe for the rest of their lives.

With seeing Misty again, there came great complications, primarily heartbreak once again on both their ends. The hardest part of achieving contact will not be possibly having to use every power she knows to get to her or even having to leave her behind again. The Supreme witch already knew the hardest part would be explaining to the Cajun witch why she would not be able to contact her anymore, seeing her face when said that she was leaving the coven and watching her tears fall while knowing there was nothing she could do to help her. The whole situation made her feel so helpless, but at least she was attempting to do something to ease the pain Misty was going through. 

                When Cordelia becomes Sally, she will need to erase almost all traces of Cordelia’s life, which means no contacting the girls at the academy, changing her entire personality and appearance, and absolutely no magic, unless the direst of situations were to call for it. Which means the second she says her last goodbye to Cordelia Goode, she was to never contact Misty again. The only exception would be when she was one hundred percent positive she found a way to get her out of her hell. 

                Cordelia stood from the bed where she has just awoken from a fitful night’s rest. It had been two weeks since she had arrived at the Hotel Cortez and she still could not get used to the uncomfortable bed that she was to call her own for the foreseeable future. Or maybe it was the lack of Misty’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a sense of safety and love that she couldn’t get used to. She could deal without the feeling of safety. As the Supreme, she was at constant risk of attack, both by witch hunters and by other witches. But the feeling of love was something she didn’t have until she met her dearest Misty. No with Hank or her mother, try as they might, but they love they were able to give was nothing compared to the all-consuming passion she had with the resurgence witch, and just thinking about never feeling that again was enough to send Cordelia spirling. 

                She slowly made her way to the bathroom, flipping the light on as she walked by, and was nearly startled out of her skin when she saw her appearance. Out with the Cordelia and in with the Sally.

                Her long honey-colored locks of hair were chopped off an inch above her shoulders and were crimped and teased so much that a large, for lack of a better word, poof now stood proudly on display. She replaced all her blouses, skirts, and high waisted slacks with short dresses which she felt was trying too hard to bring back the early 90s and fishnet stockings. The only things she was able to keep from her own closet was her heels, which paired quite nicely with her new array of dresses if she does say so herself, and a small amount of her own makeup. The natural look left with the rest of her and was now sporting a bold deep purple color and heavy eyeliner that became slightly smeared in her sleep.

                She had undergone her transformation two days ago and it still concerned her how different she looked, yet still appeared totally the same. One problem she found with disappearing as a girl who was identical to you was that no matter how hard she tried, short of permanently altering her appearance with surgery, her face remained the same. If any girl from the coven were to walk in, they would definitely be able to identify the Supreme that they once knew.

                After showering and reapplying the copious amounts of makeup which took considerable concentration, Cordelia sat in the chair situated by Misty's belongings, put Landslide on the record player, and began to look through her books for something; a spell, a potion, even dark magic at this point, anything that would grant her even the smallest amount of time with the Cajun witch. She had poured over her potion book time and time again back in the greenhouse at the academy that by now she felt as if she knew it like the back of her hand. Never could she recall seeing a potion that would let the living talk to the dead, and this wasn’t exactly something that one could look up using the internet. Why couldn’t she have brought more books from home?

                Out of frustration, Cordelia picked up her beloved potions book and threw it with all her might against the wall furthest from her. She felt so stupid, so useless for leaving in such a hurry that she couldn’t even have even attempted to pack anything useful.

                Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to look over the book one more time, Delia set out to retrieve the worn out leather bound work and stopped right in her tracks when she saw what the book was open to.

**_Vitalusum_ **

**_To describe the Vitalusum potion would mean to have a firm understanding of two of the seven wonders; Vitalum Vitalis and Descensum. This potion can, in ways, act as a mixture of the two. While it will not bring back the dead as the name might suggest, this potion can be used to temporary communicate with any one member of the underworld. Pour the liquid over the body of the person you wish to see and allow the potion to take effect.  If properly brewed, the potion can be used to communicate for up to 10 minutes. If brewed improperly, dire consequences will ensue_ ** _._

                How could she have missed this? She had looked over this text so many times that it was embedded in her brain, but she had somehow managed to overlook the single most important potion in the collection. It was as if the book knew exactly what she needs at that moment. However, there was one problem. The potion called for a physical body for the deceased, something Cordelia did not possess. The only thing she had was the ashes of the girl she so deeply loved and the book hadn't stated what would happen if she were to use Misty's ashes instead of her body, but in this case, those ashes would have to work. She had failed to bring any of her potion brewing equipment, but looking over the required ingredients, she discovered that it was nothing more than a fairly simple cup of tea. 

  * **_Two (2) bunches of Chamaemelum Nobile leaves, ground into pieces about ½ centimeter in diameter. Use as tea leaves._**
  * **_Pimenta officinalis. ¾ teaspoon._**
  * **_Ocimum basilicum. ½ tablespoon_**
  * **The smoke of three (3) fully burned _Laurus nobilis leaves._**



That was it. Four ingredients, typically found in a normal grocery store. Chamomile tea, with allspice and basil, and infused with the smoke of bay leaves. Flowers and leaves best known for love, protection, luck, and in the case of the bay leaves, a hallucinogenic agent, probably so the mind can see the person they wish to speak to. The whole process could be done within 20 minutes after a quick run to the store. If she did it right, she would have 10 minutes to explain to Misty her plan and to tell her she loved her one last time. If she failed, the consequences could be far, far worse, which was now a large concern considering there were no more instructions printed.

         And so, Cordelia got to work.  In a cup that was provided by the hotel, she lit the bay leaves on fire and placed the cup upside down on top of them, allowing the smoke to be trapped inside for a while and reach every crevasse of the cup. She heated up water to a wild boil using her magic and began grinding the leaves and spices to be added. The potions recipe was not very specific, so she had to give her best-educated guess on parts but by the end of her work process, she felt fairly confident that the potion was crafted perfectly.

        Grabbing the handwritten letter and the photo from beside Misty’s resting place and placing them inside the drawer of her bedside table to keep them safe, Cordelia gently lifted the lid of the beautifully handcrafted urn, took a deep breath, and careful poured every drop of the magical liquid inside. It felt wrong as if she was violating the memory of the beloved girl, but she didn't at least try, she knew she would regret it.  The hope alone of seeing her soulmate again is enough to validate what she was doing. 

        The recipe did not clarify the parameters of the spell. There was no way to know if she would be able to actually see her, to touch her, or even actually speak to her, and what would happen on Mist’s side was also still a little fuzzy. It’s a possibility that everything that was about to happen would only be in her head, another tool to drive her crazy.

        After replacing the lid of the vessel that held Misty, Cordelia returned to the chair beside the record player, turning on the comforting sounds of Stevie Nick's BellaDonna, and waited to see what would happen with her true love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is just a filler chapter. I've hit a bit of writer's block because I was dumb and ignored my friend's advice and didn't write a story outline before starting this so I'm kinda just taking it a chapter at a time. Also, it's midterm time at school and ill probably be posting a little bit slower for the next few weeks, but don't worry I haven't forgotten about you. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Misty Day awoke to a peculiar mixture of the sound of her own deafening screams and the calming melody of “Kind of Woman” from the white witch’s _Bella Donna_ album, something she hadn’t heard since the morning with Delia right before her Seven Wonders. She would have done anything to hear that voice singing to her again and now it was playing softly in her ear. But why? How?

                She managed to pry her eyes open and was immediately blinded by a bright white light. Her hell of a classroom was kept relatively dark and what little light there was shone more as a yellow instead of a white, so her puzzling circumstances are becoming more and more confusing. She turned her head in the direction of the soft vocals and that was when she noticed an extremely familiar face soundly sleeping in an armchair only a few steps in front of her. She spent a few seconds studying the figure and, while she swore up and down that she knew her, couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before.

                Climbing onto her knees, the Cajun witch crawled over to the somewhat familiar person and placed a timid hand on their shoulder, hoping to ease them awake. The person’s eyes shot open and Misty was met with the most beautiful brown eyes, close to the color of the dirt in her beloved greenhouse, something she took for granted during her short stay at the academy.

                Misty faintly heard a strangled gasp and then a hand was gently caressing her face, the touch sending sparks throughout her entire body. There is only one person in the whole world who made her feel that wondrous feeling, only one person who will ever make her feel like that ever again.

                “Delia?”

                She was answered by a bone-crushing hug. Misty lowered her head and nestled herself under Cordelia’s chin, her Cordelia who’s touch she had been craving since she left her weeks ago in her hellscape.  

                The older witch drew back reluctantly from the taller woman’s embrace and placed both hands on either side of Misty’s face, just holding her and trying to memorize every new detail since the last time they saw each other.

                “Am I…”

                “Yes! You’re back. You’re safe. Well at least for now. I don’t know how long this potion is going to last so we need to act fast. There is so much I need to tell you.”

                Misty just stared at the girl talking to her in wonder. Cordelia had managed to bring her back, at least for a while, and she just couldn’t believe that she was really there, at that moment, being held by her one true love and feeling her loving touch on her skin and looking into her real eyes for the very first time. The girl had been blind for the majority of the time they knew each other and when the then headmistress had her sight, her eyes had been mismatched. It was only now hitting her that this is the first time Cordelia is looking at her with her very own eyes.

“Darlin’, I can’t wait to hear all about what you need to tell me, but first, what in the world have ya done to yourself? Delia, I can barely recognize ya. Why have ya changed your perfect self?”

                The Supreme lowered her head slightly, thinking of where to start this complex story. So much had happened since her Misty had lost her battle with Descensum, and now it is almost impossible to pinpoint what event led to what outcome.

                “My dearest Misty, I still don’t really know. I have no memory of how I got here. I can’t remember packing our stuff, how I got here, or why I even left in the first place.  About a month after my ascension to supreme, I woke up here, no memory of what happened. Maybe it was for the best. After I left you behind, I wasn’t really myself. There were days where I could barely get out of bed, days where all I did was listen to your albums wrapped in your shawls and stare at your ashes. I would lash out at the girls for no reason. I guess… I just had to get out of there.”

                “But why do something so drastic?”. To punctuate her question, Misty took her hands, traveling them up the length of Delia’s body, and wound her hands in her now short hair, tugging slighting at the base of her neck, eliciting a quiet moan to come out of the Supremes’ throat completely involuntarily. No matter how much Cordelia wanted to spend their few minutes wrapped up together in bed, she knew she could not get distracted, not this time. Too much was at stake.

                “On my first day here or maybe my first lucid day here, I was taking a walk. I was only outside a few minutes when I heard a scream and an impact. I walked down the alley and saw a girl just laying there. Motionless. I still don’t know why. Something just came over me, but I grabbed her bag and hightailed it back here.”

                Misty was shocked. Her Delia, the girl who cared so much for those around her and valued life like nothing else, robbed a girl who lost her life. She nodded her head slightly, signaling her love to continue her tale.

                “Mist…She looked just like me. I swear it. We could have been twins in a different life. I guess I just wanted to know more about her. But all I found out was that she was a lonely junkie, just wanting someone to love her who she could love in return. It was rather sad really. But I couldn’t help but relate. She just wanted somewhere to belong. Like you and I did. Then I remembered that we found that place. The academy was where we found each other. We fell in love there. But that was also where we lost each other. Since you left, so much has happened. Zoe died. Madison died. Then Fiona. There was just so much death in that place that I decided I needed a break. How could I find a way to bring you back permanently when every two seconds one of the girls tries some new dumb shit and almost gets herself killed?”

                The two women were completely tangled together now in the small chair, never daring to let the other go. Misty was completely enthralled by the wild tale that her supreme was telling her, holding on to her every word like it was worth a million bucks.

                “I already had all of our stuff here. So, I made a crazy decision. I wanted to disappear and what better way to disappear without a trace than as a girl who already looks identical to you? I cut my hair, changed the way I dress and do my makeup, and I’ll adapt to a new personality. I just needed to buy us some time. The academy is so crowded now. There’re at least 50 girls there, every one of them vying for the Supremes’ attention. I could barely think let alone try to get you back.”

                Cordelia felt a small spot on her chest becoming damp, tears from Misty trailing down her face and landing on her velvet dress. Small sobs could be heard being choked back, fighting their way to the surface.

                “Darlin’, you did all of this for me?”

                “Misty, I would do anything for you. You are the most important part of me. I have known you for such a short time and I have missed you forever. There is nothing that could possibly stop me from wanting us to be together.”

                The younger woman slowly brought her head up and pressed her lips against the older witch’s, quickly bringing her into a searing kiss. It was like their bodies went on autopilot, knowing exactly what they wanted. Misty threw one of her legs over Cordelia’s waist, kneeling on either side of her, and pulled her into her, their fronts now pressed together so impossible close, never once breaking their long-awaited kiss.

                Cordelia pulled away from Misty’s intoxicating lips with a whine at the loss of contact. She never wanted to stop kissing the other girl. They had been apart for so long that now every single second they spend together is more precious than the last. But there was still so much that needed to be said.

                “Mist. There’s a downside to this time. To pull this off, I must become this other girl. I have to be Sally McKenna. No one can suspect that I’m not really her. This means that Cordelia Goode can no longer exist, at least not for a while. Darling, I can’t use my magic. This has to be the last time we talk. The next time we see each other, you will be back permanently, safe in my arms.”

                Cordelia was sobbing by the time she finished talking. She had fallen so hard for this girl in no time at all and before they even had any real time together, they were ripped apart by death, something that neither girl wanted to ever feel again but knew would happen any second now.

                “Then let’s not waste these precious few moments wallowing in self-pity dear. Just hold me. Make me feel safe until I have to go back to that dreadful place.”

                “I promise my love. I will bring you back to me. I will stop at nothing until we are together again.”

                “I know darlin’. I believe you entirely. I love you, Cordelia Goode, with all my body and soul forever.”

                “And I love you Misty Day. More than words can say. More than you could possibly know”

                With that, Cordelia was surrounded once again by the ashes her true love, now more determined than ever to reunite them once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's been a few days since I've updated. Life has been hectic. But here is a chapter. At least we have a real life Foxxay/Goode-day reunion now which was a moment I was not expecting for a while. Thanks for reading. I'll try to be faster at updating next time.


	9. Chapter 9

There are rumors that spread throughout the guests of the Hotel Cortez. Tales of haunted rooms and vampires and ghosts. Stories of how people would check in and never check out again. But the one that was always talked about in hushed, reverent tones was one that was new, only just making its way to the surface.

A girl a long purple dress was said to haunt the halls. Her makeup running down her face and her cheeks forever stained with tears. People would swear that if you saw her, she would pull you into her misery, for everyone was drawn to her, a pure magnetic force always at work.

They said room 54 was where she stayed. No one had been seen coming and going but the key was always gone and was said to be occupied. But faint music could always be heard. The same songs over and over, night after night. If you listen closely, you could hear her sing along. However, it was more common to hear her cries every night. Cries, they said, for her long-lost love. A girl who was taken away far before her time. And she would never leave until they were reunited.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

Sally Mckenna, formerly known as Cordelia Goode, began her day the same way she has for the past three months. Get up and instantly reach to her bedside table for her pack of cigarettes, reveling in the small buzz that came from the smoke, then a short shower, get dressed in yet another velvet dress and begin to make her way to the library where she would spend hours on end hunched over books, reading every book she could find on resurrection. Everyone in the Hotel Cortez thought that she must be losing her mind when she stepped foot out of the hotel, let alone when she returned with a bag full of books. After months of pretending to be this Sally person, she finally had gotten the hang of her persona and her relationships; who she hated, who hated her, who couldn’t survive without her, and one thing she learned on her first day is that she had hardly left her room, more of a ghost than a resident. 

        “Can’t a girl fuckin’ try to better herself?!”. That’s how she always responded when someone questioned her motives, a cigarette dangling loosely from between her lips. In reality, she was just trying to find her long lost love again, a task which is becoming more and more difficult with every passing day. There are days where she loses all hope, almost giving up entirely, but she never does, determined and desperate to find her soulmate.

Sally holes herself up in her room every day, pouring over the same books. The library only had so many books on resurgence, and only about half give details and ideas on how to resurrect somebody. She was no closer to rescuing her love than she was when started months earlier.  

        After hours of reading spells and potions and rituals, she decided to take a small break, gather her mind, then start again in a few hours’ time. She felt that if she was able to relax for a while, maybe she would be able to find something she missed.  

        She threw open her door, confidently strutting down the hallway and down the stairs to the lobby. After pausing for just a second to pull a cigarette from her purse and placing it between her lips, expertly lighting it within seconds, she continued on her way to the front desk, ringing the bell multiple times just to annoy whoever was working.

“Yeah yeah…I heard you the first time. Oh, wait…its just you. I swear I will never get used to you being here. Don’t you have a home you can go to?”

“Oh Iris, this is my home. Best place on earth wouldn’t you say?” Sally could feel the sarcasm dripping off every word. Who would want to stay in this dreadful place what with the mattresses sliced open and the stench of death following you wherever you go.

“Shouldn’t you be dead by now? All you do is wander around in a drug-induced stupor. It’s a miracle you haven’t already overdosed. Or haven't broken your neck after being pushed out of a fifth story window. I hardly believe you walked away with barely a scratch on you.”

“What the fuck are you going on about now? I can assure you that if I fell out a window, I would never return, you would finally get your wish, but come on, we both know that I actually died, you would miss me too much.”

“It would be a dream come true for both of us if you just dropped right here and now. You’re not doing anybody any favors sticking around, filling the halls with your tears and cries and trails of smoke.”

“This place would never function without me. You know it. I know it. I’m saving you all by still hanging around…haunting the halls…causing everyone grief and suffering. It’s my purpose. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Each word was laced with venom. She had quickly realized, back when she was first getting her footing and figuring out who she was supposed to be, that this Iris person was someone she would never get along with. It was her son Sally was with when she died, the boy with a jawline for days and eyes full of sorrow. His name a was Donavan. He was just looking for an escape, he had never meant to die. She had been his dealer and, ultimately, his cause of death. Not only was she a user herself but she enabled those who were like her, something that ceased to happen when the witch took over.

Sally turned on her heel and stormed out of the lobby, desperately needing another smoke and to get some fresh air, clear her head and calm down after her whispered screaming match.

She had only been outside a few minutes. When she returned something felt off like things were about to get so much worse before they got better, but anyone really could have told her that. She was barely three steps back inside when she heard her new name being screamed at deafening levels.

“SALLY! My dear, I have been looking everywhere for you now. It’s that time of year again. You working on your end of the deal?”

She will never get used to the dark energy that radiates off Mr. James Patrick March. Even without the use of her powers, she could feel the shadowy aura that surrounds him. Her girl would say to surround herself with the white spirit light to protect her, but around him, she feels as if that would never be enough.

“March, we both know that my memory is shit. What the fuck are you talking about? Why would I ever want to make a deal with the devil?”

“While I appreciate the compliment, I’m talking about my soul dear. It’s October 27th. You have three days to deliver. I know you remember what happens when you turn your back on me, right Sally girl?”

“Why don’t you jog my memory. I can’t think of anything worse than the living hell I’m in now.”

“Three days. That’s your deadline. You bring me a person on the night of my party then you get left alone. No one to bother you. Not me, not my wife, nor your little creation that your kind conjured up.”

“You’ll get what you’re after, don’t you worry. Anything to get away from your kind.”

With a roll of her eyes, she was gone again. Back to her room to return her books. She wasn’t exactly relaxed but hopefully, the break did her some good.

The next hour proved fruitless though. She could feel time slipping away from her, creating a thicker veil between her and the afterlife.

She decided to stop for the night. She would find some new books in the morning. Something she hadn’t already read three times hopefully. After getting ready for bed, she turned out her light, crawling into bed, Fleetwood Mac drifting out the closed door, pouring in the hallway, and tears streaming down her face with a name permanently stuck on her lips.

“Misty.”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know time is moving fast but just go along with it. I'm doing it on purpose. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Sally woke to the sound of screaming. The screams only lasted for a few seconds but those few seconds were just enough to identify them. That scream was so familiar to her she could have picked it out of a lineup. She could have sworn that just on the other side of her wall was her lost love. If there was one thing she knew, it was Misty’s voice, and that was it, no doubt about it.

But she has met the neighbors. A cold hipster couple that only cared about themselves and complained a little too much, to the point where any employee or long-term guest of the Hotel Cortez would have told to you point blank that they wanted them dead. Still, she couldn’t help but notice that they weren’t her Mist. And she was beginning to think that she would never see Misty again.

She has been on her own, without any help or magic, for around four months, and there is nothing that tells her how to bring back someone who was claimed by the underworld. And after 30 different books and hundred upon hundreds of websites that claimed they knew what to do, she was starting to entertain the thought that it might be better to just leave her behind, move on. Misty wouldn’t want her to just stop her life, would she? Even if the Cajun witch wanted her to stop looking for her, Sally knew she couldn’t no matter how tempting the thought may be. She had made a promise and she would never forgive herself if she broke it. But one day off couldn’t hurt.  

After pulling on her dress and carelessly throwing her coat over her shoulder, holding onto it with just one finger, she had exited her room and began her usual trek to the lobby.

Everyday felt the same. Repeating tasks over and over until everyone within the hotel knew her routine too. She was determined to break her pattern today.  To do something so totally unpredictable that she surprises even herself. She never meant to become comfortable in the dark hotel, but she was drawn to it for some reason, the darkness, and she couldn’t help but feel like she was meant to be there.

She had begun to shut herself up while staying at the Cortez. Her life was like a cracked open book, open enough to see inside, see her pain and sorrow and longing, but close enough to being closed that she could snap shut at a moment’s notice, putting on a front that, to anyone, would make her look like a stone-cold killer, which some argue she is. And maybe they were right, about the killer part at least. She had taken the life of a few people in her lifetime, but with everyone, guilt consumed her, which was fine with her. Guilt is still an emotion. Feeling an emotion means you’re still alive and she needs every reminder that she is still living and breathing that she can get.

The time was half past noon and she was craving a drink, something to help her relax and forget the pain that has been her lifelong companion. Sitting herself at the bar, a shot of vodka was automatically placed in front of her, followed by a wink from Liz. She always knew somehow just what she needed. She downed the shot as she watched the older woman lean closer to her, beckoning her closer, silently opening her mouth as if to tell Sally the world’s largest secret.

“The strangest thing happened today. Iris and I are still just completely dumbfounded. A young girl stopped by today around nine this morning. She couldn’t have been more than 17. Wearing all black, from head to toe, with a large black hat sitting on her head. Long flowing blonde hair like a halo. We could just feel the power radiating off her. Both of us know how supernatural this place is. We’ve seen and even befriended ghosts and vampires and every single one of them has the darkest aura you have ever seen. You can see the evil. Oh, but this girl. She was surrounded by a pure white light. It was blinding but so beautiful. She was pure good, pure innocence.

“She barely said anything. Gave us a name and where she was from. The usual. But then, she calmly reached into her bag, pulled out a package. Neatly wrapped with care with beige parchment paper. She placed it on the counter, said ‘Make sure she gets this. It’s life and death’, then turned and left. Only here for like 10 minutes in total.

“She got to the door where two other girls joined her. Both with the same white light. We couldn’t see who they were, they were far away, but these girls. We have never seen anything like them.”

Sally’s heart was beating at an alarming rate at the end of the story. In her past life, she knew of many girls who surrounded themselves with the white spirit light to protect them from evil, which this place definitely was. She just started at the storyteller, eyes wide and panicked, but her face was completely calm. To hide her anxiety, she pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and expertly lit it, the nicotine calming her nerves already. She hated how quickly she became addicted to the smoke. But one good thing about processing glowing radiant health was not getting any side effects from the intoxicating agent.

“That’s it? That’s the whole story?”

“What? Three powerful beings not good enough for you? I should have known. You’re not entertained unless it involves blood and death. Maybe a few tears thrown in for good measure. You like the dark, unaffected by the light.”

“Oh Liz. You would be surprised with just how good I can be. You still got the package? You open it yet? Make sure its not a bomb or anthrax?”

“Well, we tried to deliver it. I think the computer is messing up again. I ran the name through the guestbook and it says that the room that the girl is in is occupied, but no one has ever seen her. In fact, it says that her room is your room. It’s weird. It’s like she just…disappeared.”

“Possible James got to her before you did?”

“We thought that too. It’s always an option with him around, but he swears on his life, on his wife’s life, on the hotel, that he has never seen her before.”

“Care to tell me her name?”

“Her name is a little confusing. They put three last names down. Like they didn’t know which was right. First name Cordelia. That’s for sure. But last names are Foxx, Goode, and Day. One written under the other like a list.”

Sally’s breath caught in her throat. They found her. The coven had traveled from New Orleans to L.A. just to deliver her a package. Her whole body was shaking, and her mind went from 0 to a 100 in a second flat, filled with questions. Most importantly, how did they know where she was?

“You know, that name sounds familiar. I think I ran into her once, when she first got here. Shit, that must be like 4 months ago. Ran into her in the hallway, saw what room she went into. Wanna hand that over and I'll make sure she gets it?"

“And pray-tell dear Sally. Why the fuck should I trust you to give this to her. You’re the only one that’s ever heard of her let alone seen her. You could be making this all up. And there’s the fact that you’re a self-absorbed bitch who only thinks of herself. You, my dear, are only loyal to yourself.”

“Trust me, it's purely for my benefit. When we met she mentioned something, something that I could use. Thinkin’ about making a deal. The package in return for information.”

“What information could this mystery girl possibly have to give you?”

Sally had to make a split decision. Make up a lie that could be believable or tell the unbelievable truth and hope that it doesn’t ruin her chances of finishing her goal. She chose one and prayed to whoever would listen that it wasn’t the wrong choice.   

“We have both heard the rumors by now. A girl who haunts the hotel, drowning in her own tears, crying for her long-lost love. A girl in a velvet dress and a cameo choker. No ones ever really seen her. Glimpses here and there but wails and screams are heard aplenty, followed by the smell of smoke.  It’s time we drop that act, Liz. We both know it’s me. They started when I got here, and they’ll stop if I ever leave, but we both know that there are too many similarities.

“My girl is lost. Gone. Vanished into thin air. I need to find her. She dropped her name. Now, I wanna know how she knows her. The package in return for where my girl is. It’s as simple as that.”

“And what’s gonna happen when she tells you she doesn’t know?”

“Well, then we might just have one less guest here. I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that. Certainly, James would approve. I know, and now you do too, that I won't stop collecting souls til I find my soulmate.”

In a flash of tan, the permanent guest looked down and saw the hand wrapped package, tied with a twine bow, and decorated with hand drawn Gladiolus, lavender, and white heather flowers. She knew what they meant. Remembrance, admiration, and protection. Her girls were trying to tell her something. That they still loved her and cared for her and admired her, even though she had practically abandoned them during their time of need. Just the sight of the package brought tears to her eyes, but now those tears are silently streaming down her face.

 She completed her goal for the day. She surprised even herself. Her cold and bitchy persona went out the window the second she realized what was in front of her. A reminder of her past life, a life filled with love and hope, a reminder of those girls who trusted her to take care of them. 

Grabbing the package and stuffing it under her arm to hold it on the walk back to the room, she stood and began to walk to the elevator when a thought that resulting from a burning desire blossomed. She just had one question.

“You said that girl earlier gave a name and all that shit right? Care to tell me?”

A small smile broke on Liz’s lips as she spoke

“Said her name was Zoe. Zoe Benson. Came all the way from New Orleans. She’s with that school, you know the one that recently came out and they are really witches. Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies I think was the name. She even gave the names of the girls with her. Madison and Queenie. Told me they were looking for someone, two someones actually. Two very important people to them. Those three girls were on a mission I tell you. And they won’t stop till they finish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm assuming it may be a little confusing with the names, with Cordelia being called Sally now, even in her own thoughts, but I did that because she had to convince everyone, even herself, that she really was this girl. I have a bunch of ideas that I'm working on and with Midterms finally drawing to a close I hopefully will have more time to write, if anyone is actually reading this. Thanks to whoever is.


	11. Chapter 11

When Sally returned to her room, she wasted no time in ripping open the brown paper packaging to which revealed an unfamiliar brown leather book. In large gold lettering on the front cover and on the spine, it read, **_“Portals ad infernum et reducit”._** Portals to hell and back. How ominous.

She sat on the bed and prepared herself for what she was about to see. Opening the book to the page with the bookmark, she examined the paper but began to feel increasingly confused. The page was covered in her handwriting. Every free space had notes written in it and she remembered none of it. Notes on ceremonies and rituals to help communicate with the dead and places around the world where entrances to hell were rumored to have existed although there were also notes debunking some of those claims. One line stood out in particular.

“In LA. HC room 64. Find JPM”. Shorthand was used everywhere. At the time, she must have thought that she would be able to recall what everything meant but, at this moment, it just looked like she had written nonsense to herself. To try to make sense of what she wrote, she began to read the page, hoping something in her mind would click.

“ ** _Although this building may look charming and inviting from the outside, the inside is home to many a demonic creature. It is considered to be the most haunted place in America and one of the most supernaturally dangerous buildings in the world. Constructed in 1925, the original purpose for this building was primarily to serve as a place to hide homicidal evidence from the police, and it did indeed until the creator’s death in 1926. Legends say that on October 30 th of every year, a night commonly known as Devil’s Night, the veil between the two realms, the living and dead, is weakened to the point where the living can enter hell and return with deceased loved ones, giving them a second chance at life. The only other point the veil is weakened is during the small periods of time in-between consciousness and unconsciousness, however, during this time, travel is not permitted, for the living can only hear short bursts of sound.”_**

Everything Sally had needed for months was now being held in her fingertips. She had found a place where she would be able to rescue her darling Misty in just five short months, the only problem was the book never explicitly said where the building was. It gave one short paragraph, enough to give hope. It only gave the details and that saying the name of the building out loud is extremely dangerous.

She frantically started to flip through the book trying to find the name of the building what supposedly held the key to her dreams and her nightmares simultaneously. As she was searching, for the second time since she arrived at the Hotel Cortez, she found a letter, addressed to her the same way the package was.

To: Cordelia Foxx

                    Goode

                    Day

It was like they no longer knew who the Supreme was. Except they did, better than anyone else, for she had told no one of her relationship with the Resurgence witch, and still they listed Day as an option for her last names. Without ever being told, they had known about the secret love that was shared between the two women, accepted it, and thoroughly encouraged the pure soulmate attraction the two had.

This letter, unlike the declaration of love from Misty which had been left for her in the younger witch's old purse, was new and crisp, obviously written very recently. Her letter from her beloved was slightly yellow around the edges and falling apart from having been read over so many times, on both the part of Misty and the former headmistress. Carefully trying to remove the new note from the envelope, she unfolded the handwritten words from her dear students.

_To our dearest Cordelia, our one true Supreme,_

_At the time of our writing this, you have been gone for eight months, though by now, we are willing to bet that you only fully remember the past three or four. The events which led up to your departure was a cascading failure, one we hope to rectify quickly, with your help of course._

_It began with the death of our beloved Misty. It was Zoe who had discovered the true nature of your relationship, and we sincerely hope that it was not only her death that finally caused you to leave but if it was, none of us could blame you, as we also committed acts in our grief that we regret._

_But your grief was nothing like we had ever seen before. There were periods of weeks where you would not leave your bed, sobbing brokenheartedly, only having the strength to utter her name and no other words. There were periods where we could not get you to sleep. You would be running around frantically, completing any and every task set before you, as if work would distract you from the pain of loss. And for a while it did. You accomplished many great things while you were suffering. You brought many great young witches to our doorstep, some of which have yet to meet you. You joined us together, united, a force to be reckoned with._

_But it was during a period of great sorrow that we convinced you to do the most regretted act any of us has ever committed._

_It had been three weeks in bed. You had barely eaten and had only left your room for short intervals. You had caused the council and the girls great concern. A rumor was started that there was no supreme, that you were just a ghost who haunted the halls of the academy. It is still difficult to pinpoint whose idea it was, but if asked Zoe will tell you it was hers. That she just couldn’t stand to witness you in such great amounts of pain. That she thought this would bring you peace and happiness when it only brought you greater sorrow and heartbreak._

_We gave you a potion. One that was supposed to numb your feelings, not to the point where you could not feel, but to where you would be able to continue on in the face of utter despair. We were able to brew it to where you would not forget your beloved Misty, but you would feel nothing towards her death, which in hindsight, was an incredibly bad idea in the first place. We should have let you process in your own way, instead of taking away a part of you._

_During the process we discovered we had made a mistake, the potion was made not to where you would be numb to pain, but to where you would forget everything in the past four months. When you were to awaken you would have no recollection that Misty had passed, that you had become the Supreme, that your mother had died, that you had to execute your dearest friend._

_It was that night you found the book. The book that now is in your hands again. You read only a few short pages and began to cry again, but this time, tears of joy, for you had found a way to bring back your beloved._

_So, you left. Packed two bags, saying one was for yourself and one was for when you rescued Misty, got in your car and left. Never saying where you were going. We have been searching for you ever since._

_But then something incredible happened. One of the new girls, Mallory, developed the gift of the second sight, just as you had. She was able to keep an eye on you to some extent, making sure you were safe, but never being able to tell where you were exactly. Until now._

_We found you never lost your memory entirely. You only lost snippets, holding on to pieces that were of great emotional significance. We watched as you remembered how Misty die, how Fiona died, how you brought so many new students to us, how you ascended to Supreme. But we never watched you remember why you were where you were._

_It wasn’t until you had been gone for five months that we realized you left the book behind in your frantic escape plan. It had been tossed under your bed by accident, we’re assuming in the frenzy of you packing. But the book is what led us to you. It told us where you were._

_The Hotel Cortez. A place where evil was born and evil will stay for eternity. A direct portal to hell and back._

_So, heed our warning Miss Cordelia. That place where you now call home is also home to creatures which would love nothing more than to torment you for life. So please, we are begging you. Come home. Come back to the academy. We will rescue Misty together. But please, bring our Supreme back to us. But know we will do whatever necessary to bring you back to the coven._

_Sincerely,_

_The Council of the Coven overlooking_ _Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies_

It took Sally a few minutes to wrap her head around all the information in the letter. The reason she was without portions of her memory. That she had put her own girls at risk by being so consumed by guilt and desire to where she could not function. Most importantly, that she was currently in the same building where Misty was. Or where she would be.

           That was what really stuck with her. Not that they still wanted her back, but that she was so close to her love, and still so far away.      

                She had five months until Devil’s night. She could return to the academy for that time and come back. Or she could remain here as Sally, gathering all the information she could on the people who worked here. Find out if they knew they were technically in hell. She could find this JMP person and befriend him, hope that he will help her save the Cajun witch.

               But none of that would be possible if she returned, it would be like she was surrendering. So, she made a decision right then and there.

                She was staying at the Hotel Cortez, the evilest place she could think of. She would not return to the academy no matter how much the girls begged her to. She knew what she had to do now, and nothing was going to stop her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how it's taking me longer and longer to upload. It's becoming difficult to find the motivation to continue right now. so I'm thinking about stopping for a while. I'm not sure yet. Thanks for reading this, if anyone is.


	12. Chapter 12

Sally was now more determined than ever. With her new-found hope that was given to her through the strange book which magically appeared, she began her quest to find who this JPM person was, and the first logical move would be to check out this room 64.

The girl had heard of the room before. Like herself, room 64 was surrounded by a cloud of mystery. Tales of a creature that wasn’t human but was born as such, a baby who was protected by two people, the ones who gave him life, the ones who are supposed to love him the most. Tales of a man so vicious and vile that only the worst people alive could stomach being around him. Tales of a feast held once a year where the ghosts of killers would gather and wreak havoc on the innocent individuals around them. But of course, those stories are just that. Rumors made up to entertain. Sally fully believed that none of the stories held any amount of truth in them.

Making the way to the sixth floor, the disguised witch quickly became lost. The hallways lead to dead ends.  Doors that lead to nowhere. Staircases that lead you to places which make no sense. After living here for months, she had no idea how much of a maze this place really was.

No matter how confusing the hotel was, nothing compared to the way her journey made her feel. Cold spots in the hallways where it was previously a pleasantly warm temperature would appear at a moments notice. Doorways which felt as is the air became thinner and caused Sally to have difficulty breathing. Panic settling into her very soul.

The hidden Supreme has seen a lot in her life. Battles and death, serial killers and witch hunters, her own mother who tried to kill her coven, the love of her life turning to dust in her arms. Her life was riddled with panic and anxiety on a regular basis, but nothing that felt as strong and urgent as the fear she felt as she found herself stood in the doorway of room 64.

As her warm hand reached out to grasp the doorknob, terror levels rising with every second, she found herself paralyzed, hand frozen in the air halfway to the tempting entrance to the supposedly haunted room. Willing herself to move, to leave the hotel or gather the courage to step foot in the room, a timid hand was placed on her shoulder, making her jump out of her skin and let out a blood-curdling scream.

“What the fuck man! Do you want to give me a heart attack?”

“Oh, I am so terribly sorry ma’am. I didn’t mean to cause you a fright. You looked in trouble dear and was coming to see if you were in need of help.”

The familiar face of Miss. Evers calmed Sally down considerably. She was never really fond of the woman, finding her to proper to stand, always kissing the ass of Mr. March, hoping for any kind of validation. She kind of pitied the woman in fact. She would die if she was forced to be a maid for all eternity.

Sally knew of the ghosts and supernatural, at least to some small extent, and while she only knew a few of them, she was quickly able to deduce that Miss. Evers was one of them.

“Next time fuckin’ announce yourself. Who would want to give someone a heart attack? Don’t make a girl share your same shitty fate.”

“So sorry dear. I guess I’ll just be on my way seeing as you appear to be just fine.”

“Wait….” Sally reached out a poorly manicured hand, the paint chipping away quickly, and turned Evers around, making her face the younger woman again and looking her in the eye. “You’ve been here a while right, like longer than most residents here?”

“I’ve been here since the day we opened. Maybe even longer. I’ve been with Mr. March for as long as I can remember. Why do you ask?”

“What can you tell me of this room. Number 64. You hear so many fake stories it’s hard to determine what’s shit and what ain’t.”

“Well, I know of a lot of things. I know of the dark tales about this place. I know what people say about you, about the vampires, the ghosts, and monsters. Next, they’ll say the boogieman lives here. This room, however, is entirely factual. Never once have I heard a tall tale about this room and found it to fake. You’ll find that anything is possible here at the Hotel Cortez.”

“So, the demon child, the annual dinner of fuckin’ killers, the person who has been described as Satan himself. All that is real?”

“Every bit of it. Met of few of those people myself. Terrifying fellows I must say. Emotions always run high around here on Devil’s Night.”

Devil’s night. The day that was mentioned in her book. The one day a year when she would be able to sneak into the underworld and save her girl, completely undetected. How could that be connected to room 64?

“Now what is Devil’s Night? I swear, now you’re just making this stuff up.”

“On the contrary. Devil’s night is once a year, October 30th. That’s when most of those people you listed come out to play. It is the more informal name of that killer dinner you mentioned. A night where old friends of the master gather for the night to drink and be merry. The only time of year where they can be around the living.”

Sally was staring at Evers completely gobsmacked. This poor woman was a fountain of useful information, but of course, the one night she gets to find Misty also just happens to be the most dangerous night at the Hotel Cortez.

“And how does one get invited to this Devil’s night?”

“Well, the guest list is very exclusive but its pretty easy. Right now, there are six guests, excluding the host. There are only two requirements; one must be a mentee of the master and dead. That’s the big one. No living around on the night of the feast.”

“So how could someone like me get into that party?”

“Honey, you already have an in. Don’t you remember the deal you made? You have to bring a soul on Devil’s Night in exchange for being left alone. You have to physically bring in the soul, which means you have to go into the room. That’s tomorrow. You talked to the master two day’s ago about this. Do you not remember any of this?”

She vaguely remembers a conversation about a soul, but that feels like months ago, not two days.

“You’re fuckin’ with me. It’s May. Last I checked it’s the middle of May.”

“Honey, it’s October 29th. It’s like you just zoned out for five months. Are you okay? You look a little green. Do you want to lay down awhile?”

The next thing she knows, Sally is crumpled on the floor in a cold sweat, completely passed out from shock.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some people left comments saying they didn't want me to quit so i'm going to try to continue this story. sorry for it being like two week since the last update.


	13. Chapter 13

The feeling of a cold compress on her head and the sound of heavy breathing awoke Sally from her fitful and dreamless sleep. She couldn’t remember how she was returned to her room, but as she looked around at all her familiar possessions, it seems she was moved from her spot in the hall to the rock-hard bed that she’d been in for a while.

She had found so much information earlier that the overload was just too much, too overwhelming. The lost months, killer’s night, room 64. It was a lot to process and only caused more questions to form. Top of the list; why was her time so messed up?

“It’s the potion. The side effects are still messing with your mind, making it shift constantly between May and October. A five-month period lost, not like that’s anything new to any of us.”

Her voice, raw and shaky took a while to respond.

“Get the fuck out of my head Zoe. That’s one thing I don’t miss about you guys, the complete and utter lack of privacy. Didn’t your parents and I teach you manners?”

“Many have tried, most have failed. You know how it is Cordelia. It’s hard to control a new power. Can’t exactly stop it right now. You saw how Nan, a seasoned clairvoyant, still had trouble staying out of other people business.”

“At least your powers are growing. That’s cause for celebration I guess. And it’s Sally now. Sally Mckenna. Your letter sure made it sound like you knew of what I was doing.”

“It’s Cordelia for me, thanks. I don’t care what you’re doing. You can’t just run away from your destiny. We gave you eight months. Enough time to grieve and get your shit together. But, of course, you had to take it to the next level, create some out of the blue supernatural agenda and change how you identify. Do you have any idea how much stress that caused us?  We had no idea if you were even alive or dead.  We were about to perform the sacred taking before Mallory was able to find you.”

“Disappearing was kind of the point Zoe. I needed time. You have witches with the second sight, you can read minds now. I’m sure you understand what I’m going through. You did the same thing with Kyle, remember?”

“That was different, and you know it. We never even had a chance before he died, and you did with Misty. You knew her for months before she died. Plus, I never ran away and committed identity theft, if that's what you want to call whatever it is you're doing. You can’t keep blaming yourself. It wasn’t your fault.”

"My girlfriend is dead because I made her compete in the Seven Wonders. You of all people should get that. You died too, transfigured right onto an iron spike 20 feet in the air. I will never forgive myself for killing you or her. I loved her…love her. Present tense because she isn’t gone. She's coming back. I'm bringing her back.”

Tears began to form in Sally's eyes as she tried to block out the night of her lover's death. 

“In your eight months alone, have you even come up with a plan to bring her back? Every time we check in it seems like your either smoking, drinking, or crying.”

Being reminded of the addicting nicotine, the older witch reached for her pack of Pall Mall, dragging one lone cigarette out of the pack and between her lips, lighting it expertly with her shiny silver Zippo.

“As a matter of fact I do, and you are going to help me. On one night a year, October 30th, Devil’s Night, the veil between this world and the next weakens enough to where the living can freely travel and bring back the dead completely undetected. In the room where it happens, having opened doors that were previously closed, I can perform Descensum, travel down to our shared hell and retrieve her, being my true love back to me. But to get into the room, I must bring a soul to be sacrificed. That is where you come in.

                “You’re a strong and powerful witch Zoe. Nothing will ever happen to you. I just need you to get in so I can get in. It will be a quick mission, in and out within 30 minutes, with my girl back in my arms where she belongs. Will you help?”

                Zoe had never heard her Supreme actually talk about the swamp witch like this, with love and admiration in her eyes. In fact, she had never seen her talk about anyone this way. While she never saw them together, she must admit that their love must be truly special if Cordelia was going to such great lengths to reunite them again. Making a reminder to herself to ask her supreme how the two shared a hell, she began to reply. 

                “The Cordelia I know would never ask someone to sacrifice themselves. Are you sure Misty is worth it?”

                “I would give my life ten times over if it meant that I could see her again for just a minute. I love her Zoe.  I want to spend my life with her forever. I have never felt anything this intense before, not when I was with Hank, not during my ascension, never.

“I gave up my life to find her. I became someone else entirely. I gave up my magic for her. I have missed you girls every second I was gone but I needed to stay away. If I hadn’t, I would still be wallowing in a pool of self-pity instead of doing something. Don’t think for a second that I take what I am asking of you lightly. I love each and every one of you and I hate fighting my every instinct to return to you girls and the safety of our coven. I have already killed you once and I shudder at the thought of doing it again, but I can protect you this time. You’re stronger this time. Nothing will happen.  I swear on my life as Cordelia, as Sally. I swear on Misty that you will be safe. Even if something were to happen, with Mist back, we both know she would be able to bring you back without a second thought.”

Zoe had to admit that Cordelia was very persuasive, but then even before she fell in love, she could convince a murderer to hand in his weapon. And it would be nice to see her friend again, her one true friend she had made at the academy. And with Misty by her side again, Cordelia would return to Robichaux’s and resume her role as Supreme, as it should have been in the first place.

“Fine. I’m in. But if one thing goes wrong, we jump ship. Got it?”

“As long as I have Mist, I’m fine with that. But there is just one more thing. Until we find Misty, I don’t want you to tell anyone where we are or what we are doing. They can’t even know you’re with me. And I have to remain as Sally until we are back, safe and sound under the roof of the academy. Can you do that?”

“It is difficult enough to explain the disappearance of our supreme, let alone adding a councilmember on top of that. But I guess Madi and Queenie can hold down that fort and look after the new girls until we return, which should only be a few more days, right? If all goes well, we should be back in our own beds by November 1st.”

With a shake of their hands, sealing the deal between the two powerful witches, Zoe and her Supreme began to formulate a solid plan to infiltrate the room, bring down the veil, go across, find Misty, and get back to their side with little harm to them.

However, Cordelia…Sally….whoever she was to herself now, had no way of knowing that just one floor above her sat her original three witches, anxiously awaiting their moment to reveal themselves to her and bring their coven back together once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one day to apologize for my short disappearance. I've been reading your comments and I love hearing that some of you guys like this story, so I'm trying to use that as motivation to continue this, though I may be trying to wrap this up within the next couple of chapters. Thanks for reading everyone! 
> 
> Ps. I'm a huge Broadway fan and I left a little, not so subtle, Hamilton reference in this chapter so let me know if you find it.


	14. Chapter 14

“Madison! Get back here! She is going to see you!” Attempting to draw Madison Montgomery, a newly resurrected original member of the coven, back into the dingy hotel room, Nan whisper-yelled in her direction.

“Please, she thinks we're both dead. If Cordy sees either of us, the bitch is gonna think she was hallucinating.”

“That is why now is the worst time. I can still hear her you know, just as loud and clear as before. She misses both of us. She blames herself for our deaths and if she sees us, it’s going to distract her from Misty and then she will never resume her position of Supreme. She doesn’t think anyone besides Zoe is here and it needs to stay that way, for everyone's sake. Cordelia is going to be spooked or curious and then she is going to run. Do you want a repeat of what happened the last time the hunters heard we were abandoned by our Supreme?”

“Would another attack really be all that bad? I know some of the little brats drive you up the fucking wall too.”

“This is why the council voted not to resurrect you. But you just had to go and make a deal with the devil.”

“What can I say, that blonde devil was extremely persuasive,” Madison practically purred as she spoke. “Or maybe I was just blinded by lust.”

“Now would that be lust for life, for the devil, or for Zoe? I can hear your thoughts when you're around her. People always forget that. I can hear how in love with her you are. A love you have never felt before and having been dead made you realize just how special the Black Widow is. You’re scared she doesn’t feel the same. You're terrified that she would never leave Kyle after everything the two have been through. 

“Poor little Madison. Paralyzed by the fear that she will never be loved. That’s your hell, right?  That no one loves you or even recognizes you. Person after person paying no attention to you. Until a familiar face came in and looked right through you like you weren’t even there. Must have been difficult staring into Zoe’s eyes and not seeing her usual spark.

“When I was with Papa, I could feel your pain. I suffered with you and watched your misery. I know your deepest darkest secrets and know how to use them against you. Try to harm this coven or Miss Cordelia again and just watch what happens.” With every word Nan inched closer to Madison, stopping right before her face, an intense glare in her eye that could kill if she so desired.

“Damn girl. Hell changed you. You sure you’re okay?”. From the back of the room, Queenie spoke up. She had been best friends with Nan for as long as she could remember and never has she seen the shorter girl so angry. She saw how protective she was over and over again, but never to the degree of what she just displayed.

“I’m fine. Just worried. In a few hours, Zoe and Cordelia are going to walk themselves into a lion’s den and we might not be able to help. We cannot step foot into that room without putting our lives at risk and our magic is only so strong. If something happens and we don’t hear it, they're dead and we will lose them. Forever.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell Zoe about that detail? If they die while in the other realm, they can never be brought back. No spell will allow contact, no chances on devil's night. Not even an ouija board will grant communication. That might change how they deal with things?” Madison being the voice of reason was shocking for everyone.  Besides toward Zoe, no one had heard Madison express any type of concern for someone’s life.

“Cordelia would stop everything if she thought she was putting Zoe in danger again.  If she doesn’t get reunited with Misty soon, she might start losing the sense of who she really is. Her magic will start to fade. Her supremacy will end, she will stop being the Cordelia we know and love and fully become Sally, a lost and lonely girl determined to make everyone as miserable as she is. We might end up with another Fiona and you witnessed how well that turned out.

“No, we don’t tell her. Our coven is in danger and we need her back to survive.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you’re ready for this? You are visibly shaking and if James thinks that we are trying to trick him, he is instantly going to be on high alert.”

Zoe and her multi-named Supreme stood in the hall, gathering the courage to enter hell.

“I’m okay… I think. It’s mostly nerves. I haven’t seen Misty in months and I’m scared hell changed her. Watching her kill that poor creature was hard enough, but to have to do that on repeat for a year, with that amount of empathy for any living thing is going to have some toll on her mental being. I still have her screams on repeat ringing in my ear. I’m not looking forward to hearing them again.”

“How can you know her personal hell? No one is supposed to be allowed in. Both Papa Legba and the devil herself has set up assurances to make sure the only person there is who it is intended for and she was never able to tell us what it was. “

“I guess they didn’t account for shared hells. They are uncommon but are typically used for people who hold intense feelings for one another. Her hell is to kill a living thing, split him open on a dissection table, then bring it back to life, over and over again. Mine is to watch her suffer, watch her scream in agony at the pain she is causing. Until I physically touch her, she can’t see or hear me and trying to touch her drains me of pretty much all my energy. The second she wakes up, I can feel myself about to pass out from exhaustion and then it starts all over. It took all my concentration not to faint in her arms last time and the longer we keep contact, the more I can feel my life force leaving.”

“So, to get her out you are forced to drain yourself of energy?”

“Exactly. I don’t know if she’ll go back to her confused state after I’m out and you’ll be distracting the party goers, so I placed a note in my pocket. Hopefully, she will be able to find it and get me out alive, but either way, I am with her.”

Looking down at her watch and noticing it was 7 pm, the time the dinner was set to begin, the two began to get in their positions.

“This spell will only last 20 minutes. When it ends, you cannot let them know you are lucid again. I’ll deliver you and then my part is done. Cast a protection spell and hope that you are safe. I’ll find an isolated spot and slip into Descensum, find my girl, and leave. Whatever you do, don’t die. At midnight, the people in the room will be forced back into purgatory. I will find you and bring you back to my room to heal. After that, we will return to the academy. Are you ready?”

Knowing her backup was right around the corner, Zoe’s anxiety eased away. Her friends would not let her die. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Silently, she nodded her head to indicate she should continue. 

Lifting her hand and waving it over the top of the younger girl’s head, the powerful Supreme placed her into a state of disassociation.

“Spargere quae mentis celare cogitationes eius”.

Zoe’s face went blank, her posture slouched, and she became unsteady on her feet. To an untrained eye, she would appear to be stung out, giving James reason to believe that the girl was just a junkie on the street, but anyone could clearly see the power radiating off her. She was just hoping Mr. March and his guests would be too drunk to notice.

Swinging the door open, pulling her partner in crime behind her, she was instantaneously greeted by Ms. Evers.

“Dear, you’re looking much better. And you brought a guest! Oh, Mr. March is going to be so glad you followed through. Between you and me, he had his doubts about you, scared being spared from the demon wasn’t enough anymore, but I assured him he had no reason to worry, and here you are! Follow me! You arrived at the best time. They are just finishing dinner and its close to time for you to present your friend. It’s smart you brought a girl. Jeffry is a little out of it tonight, at least she’ll be safe from him. Just leave her in the bedroom for now and you can retrieve her when it’s time.”

After situating Zoe and ensuring her safety, the Supreme followed the energetic maid around the corner and entered the main living area, but the sight made the witch stop short when she stood in front of seven of the world’s worst humans.

“Well come on in dear, don’t be shy! You’re right on time! My guests were getting a little antsy. They were all a little worried the main attraction wouldn’t arrive this year, but you haven’t let me down yet, now have you? You remember everyone right? No introductions needed!”.  James began to lower his voice and lean in close to the Supremes’ ear as if to share a secret. “I know John over there has missed you dearly. A year is just far too long to be separated from someone.”

“Trust me, I know just how he feels. A year is far too long indeed. Would you mind if I spoke to him for a second, before the entertainment begins? There’s something I need to tell him first.”

“Oh no, go right on ahead. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy it otherwise.”

Motioning John Lowe, more commonly known by his moniker the Ten Commandments Killer, to join them, James March stepped away, leaving the two alone.  Upon being in the company of who he thought was Sally, John pulled her into a tight embrace.

“It is so good to see you again. I know things ended badly between us with Alex returning, but that doesn’t mean that what we had was not real. What we had was an intoxicating event and it helped me more than you know. I just hope you were able to move on.”

“It’s not like you fuckin' ruined me for others, John. It was fun while it lasted but I’m over it now. I found someone kind and supportive who loves me and doesn’t think about leaving me for a ghost from their past." 

“Really? I know you were scouring the earth for your soulmate but the Sally I knew, the one who was yelling that she would kill me from the balcony, would not have given up so easily. She would have begged me to come back, to love her again, to show her even a little bit of affection.”

“Well, maybe I’m not the same Sally anymore. People change, John. You of all people should know that. Police officer to a killer. Family man to an adulterer. Maybe I finally found what I was looking for. Maybe I fell in love and it changed me. Maybe you can't handle that I don’t need you anymore. I don’t need anyone besides her. I thought that you were meant to be my one true love, but I could not have been more wrong”. Thanking her lucky stars that with the combination of her second sight and the weirdly curious nature of the inhabitants of the hotel prepared her for this interaction, the blonde tried her best to recapture her composure and return to the task at hand.

“Look, I didn’t come here to argue with you, Detective, over who is in more pain. I came to uphold my end of a deal and to retrieve something I care about. Then I’m finally out of here."

“Even if you have changed, believe it or not, you helped me reunite my family and we owe you a great deal of gratitude. So, if there is anything you need, I’ll do my best to help.”

“Actually, there is something. You know of my deal with James; a soul in exchange for peace.  The girl I brought with me means a great deal to me and if you could try to protect her during the event or even stall until I can return, then it would be me who owes you.”

“Are you sure that you’re Sally? Caring about anyone other than yourself seems a little out of character. If that is what you need, then I will try my hardest, but you should know better than to bring a loved one to a killer’s party. Here, no one is safe.”

“Who knows, John. Maybe I’m a doppelganger. A copy of the girl you once knew.”

As Sally walked away, she paused, turned around, and threw a wink in the direction of John, an attempt to show him she was not joking about her connection with the deceased girl she found in the alleyway what felt like years ago. Going back to the bedroom to check on Zoe, a hand landed on her shoulder.

“Sally, be a dear and retrieve the girl. It’s time for the entertainment to begin.”

She felt her heart rate spike and her pace quicken to a dead sprint toward the younger witch. She could only hope that Zoe would be able to fend for herself in the midst of so much dark energy. Entering the bedroom, she noticed that while Zoe was slowly becoming more alert, she was will unsteady on her feet and could barely focus her eyesight on one thing, let alone communicate effectively. 

“It’s time. When we see each other again, Misty will be back and will heal you if anything happens. I found you an ally out there, a friend from Sally's past, but there is only so much he can do. Good luck. I hope to see you soon.”

After leading her friend back to the living room and leaving her in the care of John Lowe, hoping with all her heart that her student will be okay, the Supreme returned to the bedroom, locked herself inside, laid down on the bed and desperately tried to calm herself down enough to perform the spell.

“I’m coming Mist. Spiritu duce in me est deduc me in tenebris vita ad extremum ut salutaret ‘nferi. Descensum!”

As she felt her soul leave her body and begin its descent into the netherworld, Cordelia hoped that this would be her last trip to hell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how long this has taken me. To make up for it, I believe this is my longest, albeit, most rushed chapter yet and I will try to make the next chapter even longer. The story is winding down so if you guys have any suggestions on how to extend it if that's something you want, be sure to let me know, because after the nonsensical AHS: Apocalypse finale, I want to be sure to give our girls the happiness they deserve.


	15. Chapter 15

“We were expecting you tonight. You can barely go five minutes without mentioning your precious swamp witch. I made a bet you would never in a million years give up the chance to be her knight in shining armor.”

“What? What’s happening? Why aren’t I in the classroom? Where is Misty?!”

Trying to grasp her new surroundings, the witch stands up and heads in the direction of the vaguely familiar blonde demon in the distance.  With every step, the powerful blonde became more confident in herself and more determined to find out what went wrong. She had not come this far to just leave Misty again. It doesn’t matter if the book lied, it doesn’t matter if she wasn’t undetected, not anymore. All that mattered was seeing her.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet. We would never allow for one of our inhabitants to just leave. You have to prove yourself worthy of her return. First, you need to prove your love first and then you will be allowed into your hellscape.”

“What do you mean I have to prove my love? Don’t you think I’ve done that enough! I have lived without her in my life for a year! How much more hellish can my life get? I have changed who I am to the point where I don’t even know if she will recognize me, so I could find her. It doesn’t get much pure than that.”

“That girl in there is the source of your courage and strength. She is what provides you the want and the need to continue to live. You are not you without her, but I think you already figured that little detail out. You think that you can’t go on without her, but I’ll let you in on a secret; you can, but the real question is would you want to. Without her, you would be forced to face those demons that she helps keep at bay. You may think that your inner demon is your confronting your past, or needing to accept your failure or even the thought of losing your dear necromancer, but it is not even close.

“Look at yourself. Look at what you have done without that blonde beauty by your side. You’re almost unrecognizable, even to Satan herself. Image what you would do if you lost all hope of seeing her again. Your personal demon is your identity. You have no idea who you are, with or without her. Do you think you are ready to come to terms with who you really are?”

By the time the demon had decided to pause her monologue, the Supreme stepped right in front of her. It took a moment to hit why she looked so familiar, but it suddenly hit her like a lightning bolt. The blonde demon looked almost exactly like her beautiful resurgence witch. The only difference was the straight hair instead of Misty’s usually wild curls and the habit she was dressed in as a replacement for the dresses and shawls which always adorned Misty’s body. The thick red lipstick coating her lips gave the illusion her mouth was slightly larger than the younger witch’s, but Cordelia could have sworn that the two were twins.

“Did you think it was just a coincidence you found that book which led you here, just luck that you discovered that doppelganger of yours drop out of the sky? Of fucking course not! It was all a test to see if you were even able to be reunited with your ‘one true love’. We gave you an opportunity to see what lengths you would go to and you took it.”

“Well, have I passed or failed? Did I squander my chance, or will I be able to see her at least one last time?”

“That has yet to be seen on how you perform your final task. You are not the first doppelganger to come down here over the years hoping to reunite themselves with their loves. There were two before you, the same desperate look in their eyes that I found so entertaining. I think my favorite was this girl, a medium from California, who fell in love with a ghost from the 20s. She wanted to remove the tether connecting her girlfriend to the house she died in. Came in and tried to join her spirit with her body. She succeeded, and they marched out of that dreadful murder filled house hand in hand.

“Then there was me. A girl who loved the woman I possessed and tried to make a deal with me. A soul for a soul. She wanted me to leave her love behind and inhabit someone else. Anything for her beloved Sister Mary Eunice back. But I had grown rather fond of the beautiful body and she had grown tired of fighting. What that poor girl never realized was that it wasn’t her kind and caring sister that she fell in love with but the devil herself. And because she had failed to notice the difference between a nun and a demon, I refused to leave. I check in on her occasionally. She’s married now but she never truly got over her lost love.

“Do you want that to be you? Wandering around aimlessly? Wondering what life would be like if only you hadn’t failed?”

Cordelia was gobsmacked and outrageously confused. This blonde demon has been wasting her time, trying to rattle her and make her lose focus on the task at hand. Time was running out. She knew time moved differently in hell and there was no way of knowing just how much time she had left to retrieve Misty and get back to save Zoe. She became more and more furious with every word that came out of those red painted lips.

“That won’t be me! I won’t fail! I will be reunited with the woman I love more than life itself and we will spend many glorious years together side by side! What do you want me to do, huh? I have already done everything I can think of to show just how pure our love is. What more could you want me to do?”

“It’s simple, really. I only want you to choose your life or hers. You can choose your own and leave this place intact and alive or you choose hers. Sacrifice your soul for hers. She will be released and free to roam the earth and you will be stuck here, taking her place in her hell.”

“You’re right. It is simple. She is here because of me. She is dead because I made her compete in the seven wonders prematurely. She is suffering because I was so blind that I put her in danger. It is no choice at all. Let her go and take me instead. She doesn’t deserve to be here. Never in my life have I met someone so kind and loving and compassionate. She hasn’t earned this kind of pain, but I have.”

“And you’re sure about that decision? You can never return to the living. You will never see your dear swamp witch ever again. You will leave your sister witches alone without a supreme. All you will see for eternity is the inside of that classroom.”

The consequences have no effect on the Supremes’ choice. She knew what had to be done. Cordelia eased her posture, slouching her back slightly and allowing her arms to drop from her chest where they have been crossed for the majority of the demon’s soliloquy. 

“I’m not worried about my girls. You may be the devil, but my sisters are legion motherfucker. They will flourish and grow in number and power. Throw whatever you want at them and they will be able to stand their ground and come out victorious. And for Misty, at least she will be able to live out her life as she was meant to. I won’t be there, but she will be with our sisters and she will fine. And if I know her like I think I do, she would do the same for me. She would scour the ends of the earth to find me again and do everything in my power to save me.

“When we met, she was my guiding light. I was so consumed by my self-doubt and my anger and she pulled me out of the darkness. Took me by the hand and showed me what love was and what life was like when you are happy. She saved my life. Let me save hers’.”

Now it was the devil’s turn the relax. The tension visibly left her beautiful face and a small smile appeared in its place. Her arms dropped from her hips and hung comfortably by her sides, maintaining a very neutral stance.

“Go. The door is over there. Get her and get the hell out.”

“You…you’re letting us go? Why? I offered my life. Isn’t that how this works?”

“Let’s just say I was in love once too. Love is putting others before yourself, even if it hurts you in the process. I know the pain of being separated from the one you’re meant to be with, and while I do enjoy inflicting pain, the pain of lost love is too sorrowful even for me. I would have done the same for her. So yes, I’m letting you both leave. Go live your life among the rest of your girls and try not to disappoint them again. They’re going to need you for what is about to come.” 

Ignoring the vague threat that hung in the air, Cordelia hung onto one sentence that left the Misty lookalike.

“That girl from the story earlier. The one who failed. That’s who you’re talking about right? That’s who you loved?”

“She was a light unlike any other. The universe threw everything it had at her, but my Lana never gave up hope. Still hasn’t. She would have done anything for me and I her, but my darkness would have snuffed out her light and I wouldn’t let her lead a life like that. I hope she knows that I was just doing what was best for her.”

“She does. When you’re in love, you know that they would never do anything to hurt you. We both failed in that aspect, but it’s never too late. For either of us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a witch to save.”

Leaving the devil behind with her final words of encouragement to return to the woman she loves, she turned and found Cordelia’s legs could not carry her to the door fast enough. The short trip to the classroom felt like an eternity but in just a few short moments, they would be safe in her hotel room again. Opening the door, the familiar screams of her hell filled her ears.

“Mr. Kringley! She did it again!”

“No please! I don’t wanna kill another livin’ thing, please, you can’t make me!”

 “If you won’t dissect a dead frog, you’ll dissect a live one!”

“No please, you can’t make me!”

“Do it or I’ll have a talk with your parents.”

Before the teacher had a chance to push Misty to harm the frog, Cordelia waved her hand and, with the use of her telekinesis, threw the scalpel across the room to where it could no longer cause her love harm. Running over to the Cajun witch, she placed her hand on her arm and immediately began to feel light headed and detect her energy leaving her body.

Barely catching her in her arms, Misty lifted her other half back to her feet and, once she was stable again, grabbed Cordelia face in her hands to get a good look at her.

“Miss Delia! You found me!”

“Come on darling. Did you ever doubt I would?”

“Never.”

For Delia, because in Misty’s presence she actually feels like Cordelia Goode again, every word, every movement took all her concentration and focus. She only had moments left before she passed out and they needed to leave now before her time was up. She already wasted too much time dealing with the devil. 

“Lead me out the door, love. It’s time to get you home.”

With a gasp which fell from her lips, the resurgence witch asked one simple question: “I can leave?”

“I promised I would get you out of here. It took me a year, multiple spells and potions, and a lot of heartache but I finally did it.”

“Come on darlin’. Let’s go home.”

Hand in hand, the two blondes walked out of the classroom and began their ascension back into the land of the living. When her soul was reunited with her body, Cordelia sat up in the bed with a deafening breath and frantically surveyed the room for Misty.   

With a swirl of dust, the figure in the shape of Misty formed and came to life. Only a moment later the two were captured in a searing kiss, one to convey not only all the pain and loss they have endured the past year in the absence of one another but all the joy that comes with being finally reunited, forever.  

“I am so glad you found me. I was ever so lost in the darkness.”

“I will always find you, my love.”

For the first time in a year, Misty and Cordelia felt truly content just being in each other’s pretense, until Cordelia bold out of the room, bound for the living room where she had previously left Zoe, where she was greeted with sight of four girls on the floor, covered in blood, their last breaths long gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> ps not proofread at the time but will edit within the next few days


	16. Chapter 16

Misty entered the room to the sounds of Cordelia wailing, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, someone else’s screams was a welcomed feeling, she just wished it was under better circumstances. The scene laid before the newly resurrected girl was one that shook Misty to her core, yet she had a feeling as if this very situation had already happened to her.

Zoe’s mouth was frozen open as if she had spent her final moments casting spell after spell to protect them. Queenie was covered head to toe in lacerations, no doubt self-inflicted in attempts to use her powers as a way to defend herself and her sisters. Madison’s once beautiful blonde hair was now matted in a mixture of hers and everyone else’s blood. But Nan, she was frozen in time, an eerie smile playing on her lips, almost seeming like she didn’t have a care in the world like she was free once again.  

Cordelia was on the floor in an instant, now covered in the blood of her young students, desperately pawing at them, bringing them closer and closer until she was practically laying on top of her girls. No other noise could be heard, save the loud screams and tears that escaped from the eldest witch’s mouth no matter how hard she tried to contain them. The fact that her girls were abandoned on the floor gave the Supreme the indication that midnight had already come and gone.

Misty, on the other hand, was the picture of collected. She was grieving of course, after all, she had loved Zoe who had proven to be her first friend at the academy, but her memories of the other three were few and far between. With Madison, who had tried and succeed at taking the cajun's life, she had wanted to try and make things right between them, but now she feared she would never be able to. Her time with Queenie was concluded with slapping and hair pulling during the Seven Wonders, and she was pretty sure she had never even been given the opportunity to meet Nan, the girl who everyone spoke of being bright and loving and determined. All the love and hate she felt for the four girls was suddenly erased, longing taking its place. Longing to know them better and to be in their futures.   

A gentle hand placed on the sobbing girl seemed to break her sorrowful spell. Releasing her frim grip around Zoe’s shoulders who was moved into her superior’s lap, Cordelia launched her tired and weak body into the consoling arms of her loving girlfriend.

“This is all my fault. I brought her here. I thought she was strong enough to protect herself.”

“Delia, we both know she was strong enough. There are just some things that even the strongest Supreme wouldn’t be able to survive.”

“She shouldn’t have been here. She was supposed to be safe and sound at the academy with everyone else. She shouldn’t have followed me here. She tried to bring me back and I just couldn’t let you go. This is all my fault.”

“It’s going to be okay darlin’.  She came here to help you, something that I am so thankful for. She knew what she was gettin' herself into. We would follow each other to the ends of the earth. Now, we are going to do the same for them, together, as a team. But I think this time your reunion will come a little faster.”

Cordelia detached herself from her true love and stood, slowly backing away in a state of shock. Her hands raising slightly to what appeared as self-defense, and it was, but not to protect herself from physical harm. This was to protect her from her emotions. 

“Your powers have been dormant for a year and it is taking every ounce of concentration I have to even stay awake to talk to you. I don’t think either of us are in the position to filter our life forces into someone else, especially since you just got yours back.” She was unsteady on her feet and every word was slightly slurred, a sign of her exhaustion setting in. 

“Delia, this is what I do. I possess the power of resurgence. There is nobody who knows life and death better than me. There is hardly anyone we know that I have not brought back. If you want, I can try to use my magic to bring them back.”

“I just got you back. I know this sounds selfish, but I don’t want to lose you again. If you feel strong enough to breathe life back into four girls than I will stand by your side and help in any way I can. But if you feel at all like you would be exerting yourself, then I would want you to rest, gather your strength and try when you feel strong enough.”

“I can feel my power runnin’ through me, like electricity right under my skin. Its been growin’ ever since I stepped foot out of hell. I think I can do it and we know that those girls would bring us back if they could. I promise, if I start to feel weak, I’ll stop.”

Misty stood in the spot where both she and Cordelia were previously seated, taking a few steps to where her girlfriend stood, and timidly took her hands in her own, desperately needing some type of contact. She leaned forward, ever so slightly, capturing Cordelia’s lips in a short, chaste kiss, just to show her she was there, that she was real and wasn’t planning on going anywhere.

“I don’t wanna lose you either.”

Releasing her Supremes’ hands, Misty knelt beside Zoe’s lifeless body, allowing a single tear to escape the barricades and run down her cheek.

Misty has never been able to properly explain how it felt to use her specific brand of magic. The closest she could is by a picture that used to appear in her head. It was like her magic was a thin piece of thread wrapped tightly around a spool, and when she was able to get into that headspace, the thread would unwind and if she could pull the thread to touch something, she could make it do what she wanted; she could breath life back those who have passed, she could move objects around the room, she could make people do what she wanted not that she ever felt justified doing that. But when she was on her knees next to Zoe, no matter how hard she tried, she was no able to make the thread touch Zoe’s heart to make it start beating again. Her magic was right here, she could practically see it, but the trip from hell had taken too much out of her to the point where she just was not able to perform to her fullest extent, and resurgence takes a lot out of even the strongest witch.

The barricades were down completely now, tear after silent tear falling to the floor from the eyes of the younger witch.

“I am so sorry, Delia. I just can’t do it. I was tryin’ and tryin’ but I just couldn’t feel her. I don’t know if I’m just tired or if she’s too far gone, but I don’t think she’s comin’ back tonight.”

It was now Cordelia’s turn to comfort her significant other. Moving to the taller girl and kneeling down beside her, she cradled Misty’s head in her arms, bring her ears to lay on her chest, hoping her heartbeat would bring her any semblance of hope or relief.

“It’s okay my love. Let’s go down to my room and we’ll sleep for the night and try again tomorrow. I think some well needed sleep will do both of us some good.”

“Honestly, Delia, that sounds like absolute heaven. Being able to sleep in your arms again is the ending of this day we need.”

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

When Cordelia Goode woke late in the morning the next day, she could not remember a time where she had felt this conflicted. Everything leading up to now, she was so sure in her steps. Do whatever it takes to be reunited with the one she loved. She never wavered and tried her damnedest to not give up hope, even in her darkest moments. Now here she was, lying a bed she had been renting for months, one that she has never been comfortable in until now.

With Misty Day curling herself into a small ball, her head resting on her Supremes’ chest, having let her heartbeat lull her into sleep, and Cordelia capturing her in her arms, holding on as tight as she could without waking the girl from her first sleep in a year, the powerful witch had never felt more at home in this devilish hotel.

But her head was having a battle with her heart. While her heart was telling her to fall back to sleep, to lay her head on top of Misty’s and take comfort in the fact that she was back and alive and here, her head would not let her as she knew that just one floor above her, lay her girls, once again abandoned but not forgotten. She needed to move them somewhere safe while she and Misty rested and restored their energy, and before James Patrick March returns to his room, because she was certain he would not just hand them over to her, not without a favor or causing some kind of harm to her or worse, to the girl resting in her arms. But there was no way for her to move without waking the girl above her and as much as she knew her head was right, she gave in to her heart, telling herself that 20 more minutes of sleep with the girl of her dreams was not going to harm anyone. And she stayed there, fitfully asleep, until Misty awoke, a scream ripping out of her throat.

“Misty…Misty sweetheart! It’s okay. I’m here. You’re here with me. Listen to my voice and try to steading your breathing. It is okay. I’m here.”

The scream was gone, but a ringing was now present in Cordelia’s ears. Misty had begun sobbing into Delia’s shirt, a small wet spot now making itself know, causing the fabric to cling to her skin in that one area.

“Oh Miss Delia, it was just horrible. I was back in that godforsaken lab, and that terrible teacher kept forcing my hand down with the knife in it, but every time it wasn’t that frog I kept seeing. This time it was you. I could hear you screaming, pleading for me to stop but no matter how hard I fought that man, he just got stronger and stronger.  I am so sorry. I tired to stop him.”

“Sweetie, it’s okay. I’m okay. Look at me.” She took Misty’s head in between her hands and held her gently, almost as if she would break if she was touch to harshly. “I’m okay. There is not a cut or bruise on me. It was just a nightmare. But you’re here with me now and I’m going to make sure everything is just fine.”

Misty grabbed hold of Delia’s shirt for dear life like a lifeline tethering her to this realm. She was terrified that she would forever be haunted by the ghosts of her hell, that she was too damaged for her Delia now. But in her heart, she knew that would never be the case.

“Darling, I know you are in pain. I would be worried if you were not, and we both know it’s going to take time for you to recover. But I will be right by your side every step of the way. I don’t know about you, but I am never letting you go again.”

The Cajun witch looked up to Delia with eyes as wide as saucers but full of love and admiration. It was times like this where she forgot her Delia could hear thoughts. How she could want to be with someone as damaged as she was now, she will never be able to comprehend, but who was she to question her supreme?

The younger girl leaned in and gently placed her lips upon Cordelia’s, trying to show her just how she felt through her kiss, to show her that not even death could ever really separate them. Delia responded immediately and pulled Misty flush against her, not wanting any space between them. There had been entire realms between them for a year and now there was no excuse to not feel Misty on her at any time.  And as much as Cordelia wanted to lay in bed all day with the love of her life, feeling her lips against hers, she knew there was too much to be done.

Slightly pulling away, still not quite sure she was willing to lose the feeling of Misty, Delia rested her forehead on Misty’s, opened her eyes only to be greeted by the brilliant blue that quickly became her favorite color.   

“As much as I would love to spend our day just kissing you, we have work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have no idea if this is canon, but I did make Cordelia clairvoyant. I figured if she's the most powerful witch on earth then surely she can hear thoughts. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

After somehow managing to convince themselves to leave their bubble of love and happiness, Misty and Cordelia, still clad in their clothes from yesterday, made their way to James Patrick March’s hauntingly terrifying room of 64.

They knew retrieving their friends would be no easy feat but if they ever wanted to return to their previous life, then this was something they needed to do. Their friends had put their lives on the line for them and now it is time for them to return the favor. Delia immediately began regretting leaving her students behind the night before the second they had left the room which held the once lively party. With James gone, it would have been relatively simple to move the four girls to a safer location. However, neither of them had been in any position to physically exert themselves and with their magic temporarily gone from their journey to hell and back, they had no other choice but to hope Mr. March would have mercy on them and leave the girls be. But then again, the couple never had been very lucky.

When they had arrived at the room of their nightmares, everything seemed peaceful. Or, at least, it did at first. It appeared James left the door unlocked this morning, or maybe they left it unlocked last night as the killers vacated the premises. It was almost impossible to know for certain, but they hoped James had not returned since the festivities surrounding Devil’s Night.

As the pair walked in, the room appeared untouched. Madison, Nan, Queenie, and Zoe had not been moved, the streams of blood, now dried, were still present, proving Mrs. Evers had not paid the room a visit, or else she would have been too tempted to clean the room top to bottom to get rid of any evidence of the scene. The curtains were still torn, and the table overturned. Indeed, it had seemed they would have been able to leave quickly. That was until they heard a door slam and a bloodcurdling scream sounded from behind them.

Spinning on their heels to face the sudden and abrupt noise revealed Mrs. Evers, gob smacked, standing in shock in the doorway with a clear view of the poor, massacred girls.

“What in heaven’s name have you girls done? Sally, what are you doing here? You wouldn't be caught dead here if you remember what he said he’d do if he caught you in here again without permission.

But of course, she hadn’t remembered, because she wasn’t not Sally. Cordelia Goode was just a witch who had chosen to impersonate someone who looked exactly like her. No thoughts to the life of the girl before she died, besides what she had been able to see. No thought about the consequences to her doing so. And now that Misty was back and alive, Cordelia had no need to continue to pose as the late Sally Mckenna. But while both Cordelia and Misty could not wait until everything returned to normal, the Supreme really was a clever witch and knew that as much as she hated her new and persona and who she had to become, it would be truly idiotic move to give up her identity now.

Which a quick look to Misty conveying to her to play along with whatever she was about to say, Delia opened her mouth and begun spinning a story she hoped was just wild enough to work and save both of their lives.

“Ya, I do fuckin’ remember, like I could ever forget any of those monster’s threats, but I do have permission as a matter of fact. I’m dropping off the grand finale for the party tonight. But I’d better get the fuck outta here before he returns. Can’t have him seeing me. Hasn’t been to happy with me lately, ya know?”

It was a small miracle Delia’s voice didn’t shake, or that Mrs. Evers did not notice the death grip she held on Misty’s hand or that tears managed to not fall with every word. In fact, she considered it a miracle she had not dropped to the floor and started wailing.

“He did see you. Yesterday. When you arrived with a girl too high to even know where she was. You don’t truly expected me to fall for that now do you?”

“I checked the day this morning. October 30th. Devil’s Night. I was speficially told to bring a person and I would not have to deal with that dumb fuck for a year. If I was here yesterday, I’m sure I’d remember being in a room full of murderers, but then again that’s just a normal day around here, isn’t it?”

“I should go find Mr. March. He’s been worrying about you. More than usual, I mean. Isolating yourself and crying more than usual which should really say something. I do not believe I have ever seen you without tears rolling down your face. He’ll want to see if you’re finally losing your sanity.”

Cordelia is losing the fight. If James March comes back to see four dead girls on his floor, or worse, he left the girls and he returns to them missing, then it would only be a matter of seconds before both the Supreme and Misty would be returned to their home sweet hellscape.

 “There’s no need for that Evers. If what your saying is true and I was really here yesterday, then there is no harm no foul. You of all people know my mind has been messing with my sense of time lately, but I’ve been getting better and losing less and less time. Wouldn’t want to cause Mr. March undue worry, right? Might go on another murder spree. Do you want more blood on your hands?”

 The witch knew her statement was a low blow. For decades Hazel Evers has been blaming herself for the death of her late son. As much as she loved James Patrick March, she never truly felt comfortable being an accomplice to so many lost lives.

The supreme is talking blind. In her mind, if she manages to escape the room with her girls and her life, she firmly believes that would be the high point of her time as coven leader.

“I suppose you may be right. The master has been a little calmer as of late and, I hate to say it, the Hotel Cortez has been more tolerable with him acting relatively gentlemanly.”

“How about this? I’ll help you clean up the room and save you from that psychopath’s wrath to express my gratitude for your understanding my situation then I’ll get out of your hair.”

They were almost home free. Misty would feel her love tighten her grip once again, partly out of nervousness and of excitement. Even though the pair didn’t know what to expect out of this situation, it was appearing as if everything would be going their way.

“I can’t let you leave yet. There are still too many unanswered questions. Like who that girl cowering behind you is.”

It felt as if time had stopped. The only thing on Cordelia’s mind was keeping her girls safe and sound. If she lost Misty again so soon after being reunited, she knew there was no possible way for her to go on. She was it for her and nothing would be able to make her feel as loved and content as she felt when she was the presence of her Cajun witch. The Supreme, the most powerful witch alive, almost didn’t survive after the love of her life died the first time and if Misty died a second time, Cordelia would rather die than live a life without her.

“She is just the girl I was gonna give James, remember? I thought it was Devil’s Night so it’s only natural I bring someone with me.”

“You should probably let her go. Let’s save an innocent if we can.”

The couple let out a sigh of relief. They were finally free. The interaction between Delia and Hazel Evers, only lasted a few short minutes while to them, it felt as if an eternity passed them by. Cordelia released Misty’s hand from her grip and practically begged her to run back to their room.

But it was too little too late for as Misty began for the door, James March himself stood in her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I have no idea if anyone is reading this anymore and it has been literal months since I have updated but if you have stuck with me this long then thank you so much! I know there are a million better fanfics to read so it really means a lot that you have taken the time to read mine. If you have any comments about how I can make this better or any suggestions for future plots, please feel free to leave a comment or message me. It really makes my day when you guys reach out. And again, thank you for reading this.


	18. Chapter 18

"Sally, my dear, a pleasure as always to see you!"

Despite the comprising situation he had found the three women, James March was surprisingly chipper. He took a step forward with arms outstretched almost as if he were to embrace the girl he knew as Sally in a hug. He stopped short though as he noticed the wild-haired girl with whom Cordelia was standing in front of prepared to sacrifice her life for Misty's. The strange look of glee in James' eyes transfigured quickly into something Cordelia was completely unable to recognize.

"Oh, so I guess play time is over now. Could you not have held out a few more days? Well, Cordelia if you must have it your way then fine."

Panic came over the pair of witches in an instant. A million questions flood their minds. The Supreme had been so very careful. Besides her close slip with Liz Taylor, she was sure she had not given anyone any type of clue to her actual identity. There was also John Lowe, who she believed had a small inkling, but only that she was not Sally, and considering the fact he was only here for a few hours for one night, it was quite possible he had better things to worry about than her.

She was no longer sure how much time they had left together. The only comfort they had at this moment was how they may be reunited in hell. It would be almost as bad as being separated, but at least they would be together.

Not knowing if their magic had returned for if when things began to take a dark turn, Cordelia began to tread carefully, the need for answers quickly becoming too overwhelming. With her head tilted slightly up, giving off a sense of arrogance, something purely fictional, the Supreme utter one sentence.

"How did you know it was me?"

"It was far too easy to deduce. For one, you and the real Sally are extremely different. How matter how hard you tried to be dark and brooding, your light was still there, your hope. Sally had long given up on both. Then there was how you became sober practically overnight. And my personal favorite, how you thought your room was off limits. Your living space is riddled with evidence: the pictures, the heartbreaking letter, the various mountains of spell books. I'm amazed I wasn't able to figure it out sooner than I did."

His tone was mocking, tearing everything Cordelia loved to metaphorical shreds. Her most prized possessions were primarily what gave her away.

"How long have you known?"

"Around two months now I believe. You managed to fool me for an entire month. It was the books that piqued my curiosity, and you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. Always so secretive. If anyone came near you, you would hug those books to your chest and hid the contents away, or push a bag behind your back, almost as if you were ashamed to have been caught.

"I'll admit I broke in if you can call it that. This is my hotel after all. After I went in, it was obvious. But I wanted to see how far you would go. I was impressed you had put in so much effort into your little charade and was intrigued as to know what would happen next. I tried messing with you, mentioning things I know you would have no idea about, and for the most part, you held your ground. You're a smart little witch, aren't you?"

Cordelia was completely and utterly shocked. James had given no indication he knew who she was. But the more she thought about it, she can't recall why she was scared about everyone finding out. She became Sally to fly under the radar of the coven and now that they know she where she is, there was really no use in keeping up this ever so tiring act.

"I would like to think so, yes. You need to be of relatively high intelligence to become Supreme. So much work goes into it and if you're not prepared, you'll drown."

"And am I correct as to assume the woman you're trying to hide is the one and only Misty Day?" Cordelia gave a short nod in answer and James continued in his soliloquy, "I have heard so much about you Misty, word travels so fast in this place. Such a tragic tale you have; raised in a small, little, abusive commune, burned at the stake, and killed by a friend more than once. You very willingly lived in isolation in a swamp. You have led such a difficult life until you finally found safety in a small little coven in New Orleans. It must have felt like heaven to find someplace to accept you for you. How did it feel to discover that your personal safe haven was your downfall, to find out the person who supposedly loves you the most was the one who ended up ending your life?"

Misty prided herself on being a fairly tolerant person, only losing her temper in the most extreme of cases. She had lost it when she had been dragged to the stake to which she would soon die upon and again when she had punched Madison after Queenie had brought her back. She had lived through so much that nothing at this point truly bothered her anymore, not like it used to when she was just discovering who she was. But when James began to verbally attack Cordelia, all Misty could see was red.

"You monster!"

Misty launched herself at the demon-like ghost, determined to inflict some type of harm. It had taken all of Cordelia's strength to hold her back. She had her arms wrapped around the younger girl's waist in a second flat, pulling her into an embrace to keep from her flying toward the man who is attempting to harm them with his razor-sharp words.

"How dare you speak ill of my Supreme! It would do you harm to underestimate her…or me for that matter. You've heard my story, sure, which means you have heard of what I am capable of. I have brought myself back from the dead, a task not many can accomplish. You of all people should know that resurgence is one of the more difficult powers to master and I did it in the blink of an eye. So, I suggest you either kill us or let us leave because we have been through too much and fought too hard to be bothered by a spineless little ghost like you, hiding behind words instead of actions."

Each and every one of Misty's words was dripping with venom. The only thing that was keeping her slapping him across the face that Cordelia's hand was firmly planted on her hip, the contact keeping her somewhat level headed.

"I have no intention of doing such things. Why would I kill you or let you go when I can benefit from you being here? Two powerful witches at my beck and call. Just imagine it. Why we could take over the world with the things you two are skilled! Nobody would be able to stop us!"

"James, you said it yourself. We are two very powerful witches. I really didn't want to do this. But it seems you have backed up us into a corner. We have so enjoyed our time in your presence but I do believe it is time for us to be going."

Without even moving a finger, Cordelia closed her eyes and managed to clear her mind. She pictured her hotel room, a place where she felt safe with her love, with her beautiful Misty. Felt herself leaving Mr. March's room, felt herself moving through the air to a new place, felt soft fabric break her fall which she thought belonged to the rock-hard bed she had been renting for months. But when she opened her eyes, she was back in her familiar room back at Miss Robiquiox's School for Exceptional Young Ladies, surrounded by the New Orleans sunlight and the love of her life sleeping peacefully next to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it took so long to update. School has been crazy but I promise I have not abandoned this fic.


	19. Chapter 19

Cordelia had no idea what happened. Returning to her home of New Orleans should have been impossible; the distance alone to travel through transmutation would have killed her or at the very least shortened her lifespan. The comfort she drew from her familiar surroundings was nothing compared to the anxiety she felt for being back. She left the coven to fend for themselves for months. She had abandoned four students, left their dead bodies in a ghost-infested hotel, two of those girls being highly esteemed council members. Surely the remaining members of the coven would not take too kindly to her unannounced return after causing so much pain and trouble. Just thinking of stepping out of her bedroom caused her to have trouble breathing and soon panic set in.

"Delia, you're gonna be okay sugar,". Cordelia's labored breathing was loud enough to cause the Cajun witch next to her to wake. When she saw the state her beloved was in, she began to draw soothing circles on Cordelia's back, whispering in her ear until she felt calm again. "I'm here, it's okay. Just breathe in and out. We're okay." Soon Misty stopped her movements, climbed of their bed, and began to make her way toward their bedroom door.

"And just where do you think you're going?". While Delia was the one who woke in a panic, both of them have been through a terrible ordeal and they were going to need to take some time, just the two of them, to wrap their minds around what they have been through and to mourn the loss of their dear friends.

"I am going to go down to the kitchen and make you a cup of tea. There's nothing better to ease the mind and soul than a hot cup of tea."

"Mist, no one knows we're back. We are not even supposed to here right now. I swear I was picturing our room back in L.A and next thing I know we're here. We left the girls behind. Can you imagine what everyone will say and think when they find out that Zoe, Madison, Queenie, and Nan are not returning? It can't be good!"

"Delia, it'll all be okay. They'll understand. Our lives were in danger. Their Supreme was in danger. They know everything you do is in the best interest of the coven. We'll go back, plan out some elaborate and daring rescue. If anyone can bring those girls back, it's us. I mean, I already brought like half of them back already. Once we explain what happened, I guarantee they will be welcoming you back with open arms."

"That's just it. What I did, leaving and running away, it wasn't what was best for the coven. I did what was best for me. If I did what was best for everyone else, you wouldn't be here. I would have stayed and fought for what the girls needed. No one would have died. But I couldn't even function. I was so lost in my own sorrow that all I could think of was you. I wanted you here...no... I needed you here. So, I ran. I ran as far as I could, and I didn't stop until you were out of that godforsaken hellscape. They lost people they loved because of me. This coven is in shreds because of me. There is no way they could possibly forgive me, and they shouldn't. I failed them. Turns out I am my mother's daughter after all."

"Now don't you dare even think that. Do you know how I know you are nothing like Fiona? You care. You feel remorse and guilt and you fight for those girls down there more than she ever did. Fiona would have just run away and never looked back, but you never let them leave your thoughts. You came back to right your wrongs, something Fiona was always too cowardly to do."

Misty walked the short distance back where her girlfriend sat cross-legged on their bed. When she was within touching distance, Cordelia reached out and gently brought Misty's face down to hers, planting short and sweet kisses on her lips, quickly becoming more passionate and frantic. It was moments like these, where the two could just be together, where 'Delia knows what everything they have been through, all the pain and heartache, was 100% worth it.

After a few minutes of trading loving kisses, Misty reluctantly pulls away with a small whine, wanting to stay in the arms of her Supreme, but knowing they would have to face the outside world sooner or later, and something told her that sooner was better than later. With a sigh, Misty began again her trek downstairs.

"I will be right back darlin'. I still think a cup of tea will do you a world of good."

After a few minutes of utter and complete silence, the incessant worry and fear that has become a normal part of Cordelia's life were interrupted by a deafening, blood-curdling scream.

"DELIA!"

In a flash, Cordelia threw herself out of bed, opened the door in a flash with her telekinesis, and barreled down the hallway and stairs, running as fast as she could to the kitchen where she knew Misty was. But stopped short of running into the back of her girlfriend when she saw four very familiar girls standing unbothered around the island in the center of the room.

"Zoe? What the fuck? How are you here?!"

"Yeah, That's what I said!" Misty and Delia stood side by side with their mouths hanging opening in shock. "Did you bring yourself back? Oh, I am so proud! Was it as fun as I said it was?" Misty began launching questions at a mile a minute, the shock of seeing her again subsiding quickly in favor of excitement.

"Misty, I need you to calm down. I have no idea what you are talking about. Why would I have to bring myself back? I never left. Well, I mean I did but we've been back for like a week now."

"But you were dead. We both saw you. You all were. We got back and you were lying there in a puddle of your own blood." Cordelia had to show excessive restraint to not start crying again just at the thought of the scene they found just two days earlier.

"Cordelia, are you okay? You're talking nonsense. No one has died, recently I mean. Kyle and I just got back from Florida. We're all a little confused about how Nan here is back but a little confusion is normal for us by now."

"I already told you! Someone made a deal for my release. He didn't tell me who but one day I'm running around playing and the next I'm back here."

Slowly, Misty pulled on the sleeve of Cordelia's dress which she has been wearing for two days straight and moved her off to the side, out of the room and out of earshot of everyone.

"Delia, do you think that she's talking about the deal you made for me?"

"Well, that wasn't so much a deal as it was a test of true love. It's possible but she made it pretty clear that I was to grab you and only you and then get the hell out of dodge. Quite literally if I may add."

"Maybe she wanted to reward you so she brought everyone back and took their memories?"

"Mist, this is the Devil we're talking about. The only reason she let me see you was because she said she knew how it felt to be separated from the one you are supposed to spend your life with, which by the way, I don't recommend."

"I was there too, I know how bad it was. I felt hopeless and oh so terrified. I remember thinking I would do anything to see you again just for a second."

"If we both remember the past couple months then why can't they. I swear, if this was all a dream, that is the fucking cruelest joke anyone can play on us." Misty gently wrapped her arms around her love, softly stroking her hair.

"We know it was real. It's okay. Let's just go talk to the girls and maybe we can figure out what happened."

Hand in hand the two girls reemerged from the hallway and began to piece together the past couple months.

"Let's start with the basics. It's November. November 1st to be exact. In February, you all went through the seven wonders where Misty died during descensum and Zoe died during transmutation." She retelling of the story was almost mechanical at this point, having retold it so many times both to Misty and to herself. "I went through the seven wonders, finished, brought back Zoe and became the Supreme. I became depressed for four months, thinking that I lost Misty forever,". At this moment Misty brought Cordelia in front of her and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her flush against her front, knowing the older witch would be needing to see and feel her as close as possible to get through the rest of the tale. "You guys convinced me to take a memory potion, thinking it was a potion to help numb my pain. I ran away because I found a way to bring Mist back to me, but I woke up in LA and couldn't remember a damn thing. I think that was in May. When I was in LA for a few days, I found a girl who looked just like me, I took her identity, became her and worked to find a way to Mist, not knowing I already found one. That's why I look like I do and not the Cordelia you all know and probably hate by now."

"Okay, can you just slow your roll for a second? One, it's January so chill, would you? Two, look like what Cords? You have the same boring look you've had since the day I've met you." Of course, it was Madison who brought her attention to her appearance. Waking up to a panic attack didn't really make her think she should go look at herself in the mirror.

Cordelia reached her hand up to her hair, thinking she was going to be met with the short and frizzy hair she had grown accustomed to but instead found her smooth and long blond locks which made their way well past her shoulders. She separated herself from Misty's embrace and ran full speed to the bathroom, completely shocked when she saw that the thick and bold makeup which never left her face was replaced with her more natural look she wore every day since she was old enough to know what makeup was. Her velvet dress was long gone and instead, she adorned a nice silk blouse and her usual high waisted slacks. She genuinely looked like she never left New Orleans.

"Misty, my love, why the fuck didn't you mention that my hair suddenly grew like a foot overnight?"

"Honestly I thought you already knew. It's kinda hard to miss. That and you looked so much like the woman I fell in love with, so I guess it didn't really phase me much. I'm sorry darlin'.

"Oh, I fucking called it! Everybody needs to pay up! I told you guys they were together! There is no way they could be that touchy-feely and not be together!"

Grumbling to themselves under their breath, everybody reached into their pockets and fished out their respective wallets, each handing Madison a $10 bill, all while a large grin was plastered on Maddi's face like the Cheshire Cat.

"Did you guys really put money on the fact that 'Delia and I would end up together? That's a new low even for you, Hollywood."

"Would you calm it Swampy? It's not like you didn't see it coming."

Before a full-fledged fight could break out, Cordelia stepped in, ready to finish telling her tale.

"As I said before I was so rudely interrupted", she shot a glance at Madison which was the definition of throwing daggers. "My time in L.A. is really just one large blur. I'm told because of the fucked up potion I took, the timeline in my head kept messing up, switching between May and October, which leaves like one large six-month long gap in my memory. But I remember getting your letter and Zoe rescuing me after I fainted in the hall. I remember our plan to get Misty back, which looking back was pretty much just one large suicide trip. I'm lucky I got us out alive, but not everyone survived."

Sensing the tears about to roll down her Supremes' face, Mist returned her arms to their rightful place around Cordelia's waist and quietly soothed her guilt and fear with her touch.

"Who died, Cordelia?"

With a strangled sob, she replied.

"You did. You all did. We woke up from descensum and you were all on the floor, lying in a pool of your own blood. We couldn't save you, not at the time. Misty tried her hardest and I was so tired from waking her up, it was a struggle to keep my eyes open let along resurrect four people. We went back the next day to get everyone back and come home but as we were facing off with that fucking piece of shit ghost, I tried to transmutate to our room and we just woke up here. We don't really know why."

"Well that sure is a great story, little too far-fetched for my taste, but you still get points for effort. Do you really expect us to believe that you just left the coven, as Supreme no less, and went on this huge fantastic journey to save the love of your life? Look, I know that after the whole mommy issues thing you got going on, all you want is for someone to accept you and believe in you but, next time you lie to achieve your goal, could you at least try to spin something we can actually believe?"

"Mads, why do you always have to be such a bitch? Can't you see how torn up she is about this? She has been tearing herself up for months thinking that you would never forgive her and that y' all hate her. Every single word she just said is true, I was there for some of it. I died. I spent nine very long and torturous months down in my own personal hell. 'Delia showing up was like my own personal heaven. You don't have to believe us, lord knows fighting with you about anything is a losing uphill battle, but you need to at least try to see it from her side. She almost died trying to bring us all back together. Be a little grateful for once in your fuckin' life."

Everyone, including her girlfriend, looked at the usually soft-spoken Misty Day with looks of such amazement. Her time in hell did a lot to toughen her up, not that she wasn't tough before. Madison could still clearly remember the sound of Misty's hand hitting her cheek at full force, and personally, she didn't really feel like a repeat performance of that right now. Cordelia leaned her head back onto the shoulder right behind her, reached a hand up to Misty's neck, and gently pulled her down to place a short kiss on her lips, one they both smiled into.

"Thank you, but you don't have to do that. We both know Madison is going to do whatever she wants to, no matter how much we may try to stop her." Misty just offered her a small smile in response.

"Not to break up the sickeningly sweet moment here, but if you just happened to show up, what caused it? Was it time travel or some shit like that?" Her statement earned her a rather hard slap on the head from Zoe, who had to reach across the kitchen island in order to do so.

"Well, Madison, I have an idea, but it's not fully thought out yet. I don't think it was time travel, that seems a little too convenient. Plus, if we moved back before the seven wonders, there would be two of me and Misty, which there obviously isn't. And there are some strange occurrences, like why my eyesight is back. If we did go back to January, before everyone performed the seven wonders, I should still be blind. But I should also still have my second sight. So, I think what happened was a shared premonition. There have been books that talk about someone with the gift of the second sight being able to share their visions with those they have strong feelings for. I think it was a warning for me, for us. If Misty and Zoe compete, they will die, I will leave, and the coven will be left on its own to defend itself. And even if it wasn't a vision, at some point the seven wonders is going to have to been completed and I'm not taking any risks."

"So, you think you are the next Supreme?"

"I can assure you, little bird, Cordelia Goode, is, in fact, this coven's rightful supreme."

A voice the present/future supreme long thought was dead spoke from the top of the stairs. All six younger witches turned their heads in an instant to Myrtle Snow, her fire red hair on display, having fully grown back after being burned at the stake.

After she made her way down the stairs, and after a long, and much-needed hug from her daughter-figure, Myrtle stood confidently in the center of the room, every single witch's attention was on her in an instant.

"I'm not sure how we missed it before, she is so unlike her mother, so loving and caring, I guess we just overlooked her. Apologies for that my dear. But she is so strong and powerful. She has overcome so much, worked so hard to find who she is. She is our next Supreme. There is just no doubt about it. I would have her perform the seven wonders now, but it is not even noon and we all seem to have started the fighting early today. The seven wonders cannot be started under sundown. So I suggest we all go rest and the moment the clock strikes seven, our dearest Cordelia is preform, or reperform as the case may be, the seven wonders only a Supreme can perform. Until then, I wish this house would be quiet for once. It seems like Misty and Cordelia have come a long way over the past couple days and I suspect they need all the rest they can get before tonight. Until then…"

With that Myrtle left and retreated back to the room she occupies while she stays with the coven. Everyone went their separate ways and for a while, it seemed that Myrtle would have her wish of a quiet house. But around 5 pm, as everyone was preparing for the upcoming event, a loud crash occurred in the living room. A crash of shattering glass woke the few slumbering witches and drew out a curious Cordelia from her room, where she and Misty had lied down on their bed, discussing their lives and their future. The lives they have led and the lives they wish they could lead with each other by their sides. And as Cordelia emerged in the room, the sound of crunching glass under her slipper, she saw a sight which only raised more questions for her, for the now sleeping resurgence witch one floor above who was blissfully unaware of their new arrival, and for the woman standing in front of Cordelia, a shadow casting on half her face from the curtain drawn and the singular lamp lit.

"Hi, mom".


	20. Chapter 20

"Hey, have you ever thought about where we go from here? Like, know what I want from life but do you?"

"I always thought I would live a stereotypical life. I thought I would remain the headmistress here and grow old, get married, have kids. I did the married thing and we both saw how that turned out. My judgment of human intention was off with Hank, but I wouldn't mind trying the whole marriage thing again with the right person."

"Oh 'Delia, is this you proposing?" Misty said with a slight bit of laughter in her voice, keeping the conversation more lighthearted. Cordelia let out a loud laugh, throwing her head back with amusement.

"No, not yet. When I propose, you'll know. That is unless you beat me to it."

After a long, pregnant pause, the Cajun witch asked another question quite hesitantly not sure yet if she really wanted to know the answer or not, her accent now slightly thicker than before.

"Did you and Hank ever have kids?"

"We tried. But there was something that stopped it. The doctor's kept saying that it wasn't possible for me to carry my own child. We tried some different spells to ease the problem, but nothing took. At this moment, I can't say I'm extremely disappointed. If I had a child, I don't think I would have been able to bring myself to go look for you. If I brought them with me, it would have just endangered them, well, put them in more danger than already."

After the conversation with everyone in the kitchen, the couple talked and decided that while it was thought to be a premonition, to them, the events were real and would always be treated as such, keeping it a part of their epic love story that was growing every day.

"Would you still want kids?"

"Misty, don't you think it's a little soon to be thinking of children. Technically, we've only been together for a few months."

"Well, maybe, but it feels like longer. If you think about it, it has been almost a year and a half. I've seen people back home get married and have kids in less time than it even took us to kiss for the first time. I know what I want. I know that you are who I would love to spend the rest of my life with. If we know that, is it really too soon for anything?"

"You know I feel the same way. But I think before we consider actually settling down, doing the whole marriage and kids thing, then our lives should be pretty settled themselves. We can't bring a kid in the middle of whatever is happening now. Fiona's still in charge and at least for the next few months, everything is going to be hectic. We saw all I did after being Supreme, and now that we know you're not going to die, think of all we can do together. We could grow this coven to be something amazing. Do you really want to have kids when our lives are about to be in upheaval?"

"I don't think it would be that bad. The situation could be worse, and I know we could both protect them with all our hearts. Can you imagine it? A little kid running around the house. They would be so loved by so many people. I think even a little baby would be able to melt the ice-cold heart of Madison Montgomery."

"Well yeah, of course, I want it. I just think…"

A crash cut off Cordelia in the middle of her sentence. Both witches turned their head from where they lay on the pillows and looked at each other, a glimpse of fear visible in both of them.

"Sugar, what was that?"

"Probably, just one of the girls bringing too rough downstairs. I'll go check it out and then I'll be working my way back to you babe. Just try to get some actual rest while I'm done. I may be the one competing, but the seven wonders are just as taxing on you as it is me. All the stress and worry won't be good for you."

"And how do ya know I'll be worried?"

"Because I know you. You'll be worried even if it's a sure thing."

With a laugh, Misty playfully shoved her love out of the bed. "Why don't you just get out of here already so I can sleep. Oh, and 'Delia…" The older witch raised her eyebrows in questions from her spot now standing next to the bed. "Hurry back why don't you. Sleep is always better with you here with me."

Cordelia left the room after that, a smile playing on her lips, thinking to herself how she ever got so lucky to have such an amazing woman by her side. Making her way down the stairs, as she approached the living, she was overcome with the feeling that something was off. She didn't know what but something told her she would know soon. After a few more steps, the sound of glass crunching under her slippers she put on during the exit of her bedroom penetrated the silence. Despite it being 5 pm, the sun still high in the sky, the room was dark from the closed curtains and only a lone lamp in the corner of the room was lit. The small amount of light casting a shadow on half of the intruder's face. She coughed to gain the attention of the person opposite her.

"Hi, mom."

"Who the hell are you and just want to you think you're doing?" Cordelia's voice was stern and unwavering, having faced much more fearsome creature than this small blonde girl who stood before her. The only things separating them where a small coffee table and the couch in the center of the room. Just from those two short words, she could detect a very thick Cajun accent, even more prominent than that of Misty Day.

"Look, I can explain. Just please don't leave, hear me out first. My name is Emry, well that's what everyone calls me. My real name is Emmeline…. Emmeline Rhiannon. The Em from Emmeline and Rhi from Rhiannon make Emry. Mama came up with that one and is still super proud of it to this day. Thought Emmeline was too much of a mouthful to yell whenever she needed my attention. She wanted to name me Stevie, but ya thought that would be a little too confusing or awkward considering Auntie Stevie visits pretty frequently, so her two favorite songs by Stevie worked well enough for her. When I was a baby, she would sing me to sleep with those songs. Ya wanted to name me Daisy after ya love for flowers. Ya even call me your little flower sometimes but that's a different story…"

"You still haven't answered my questions and you have been talking for around five minutes now."

"Oh! Sorry! I tend to ramble in weird or awkward situations. I take after Mama in that sense. It's just been a while since I've seen ya see like this and I think it's throwing me off. Don't get me wrong, I've seen ya been it's different like this. You're not as pale and you have this fire in your eyes that's been gone for years now and it is really amazing to see it again."

"Seen me like what? We've never met before and I'm getting tired of this game. You're talking a mile a minute and I don't think you've said anything useful yet."

"It's been awhile since I've seen ya so…alive. Where I'm from Cordelia Goode passed away around 14 years ago. I think I was around six at the time. Look could ya please just go and get Mama. I know she's upstairs and she gets grumpy when she's woken up before she's ready to wake up but trust me, I know from experience that she is usually more inclined to believe me than you are. After the mess I accidentally caused last time I tried this I would much rather have her by my side than fighting to make ya believe me. I know that will not happen unless she is here to talk some sense into ya."

With a sigh, visibly growing more and more irritated as time went on, Cordelia responded. "And just who is that?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious. My name is Emmeline Rhiannon Day. My Mama is Misty Day."

"I'll be right back."

Quickly, taking the stairs two at a time, reaching her shared bedroom in record time, she threw open the door with such force, the door it the wall behind it, resulting in a bang loud enough to make up the slumbering Misty. Cordelia reached the bed and laid a gentle hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, hoping to wake her further."

"Misty, I need you to come with me. Something's happened and I don't really know how to handle it."

Wiping her hand down her tired face she spoke, Misty spoke, voice barely above a whisper.

"What is it now, Sugar?"

"I…uh…I think our daughter's downstairs waiting for us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is so much shorter than the last one. I wanted to get this out as soon as I could and I think we all know about my uncanny ability to always end on a cliffhanger so this seemed like a good place to stop for now.


End file.
